The Dark, The Light
by LittleMissMidnight
Summary: All he wanted was to remember his past and gain the respect of his father that he always lingered for. but when faith gives him that chance will he risk everything he has? will he risk that one girl just for his father's respect? Ikarishipping.
1. Prologue

I told myself i wouldn't write a new fic unless i finish at least one im writing right now but this came up right after i finished Mysterious Stranger. it started off as a drabble but i couldn't stop, more ideas came flooding in.

I used my own relationship with my own father to help in, how do we say this...im not very close to him. lol. Dawn might not come in until chapter one or two. i haven't decided.

Sorry if its short. i don't want to spoil everything at once and plus its a prologue, their meant to stay short right?

**~midnight**

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**The Dark, the Light**

**Prologue: **My pain is only an imagination in your eyes

_All I wanted was his respect. Is too much for someone like me to ask for?_

"Paul." The way he pronounced my name, it was full of disgust but I didn't expect any less of him. "Let's re-from the red chain." He placed his hands under his chin. I continued to sit right in front of him. Refusing to reply. "This time I won't fail!" he laughed as he raised his arms into the air. His terrible voice echoed in small room. He eyes were filled with the ego to fulfil his dream of this new world he always spoke of. The guards quickly came in and took a hold of his arms. "Get off of me you fools! Don't you understand, my plan is unstoppable!"

"Idiot!" I slammed my hands onto the metal table as I stood up to him. "That's how you got into this mess. Daydreaming of this new world, the reason you want a new world is because you can't accept the one you're living in." I pushed the chair away from me, making it fall off its four legs and hit the metal surface. I turned my back to him and made my way out. Refusing to speak with him for any longer for that day.

_He wasn't always like this, wait I take that back. He was always like this. An idiot. _

"Finish for today Mr Hayden?" one of the guards greeted me. "How was your chat with him?" He asked.

"The usual." I closed the door behind me. I tightened my grip on the sliver push down handle. "Speaking nonsense." I looked up the guard. All of them wore the classic white formal uniform. Badges on the right side of their white shirt and even that classic European black police hat. Their shirts tucked into their black pants. Belt up. The usual formal stuff I was never into. "How long has he been like this?"

"As long as we could remember. Ever since he started the old group, Team Galactic." He replied. He wasn't the real up tight guards at the front. Staring at you like you just committed murder. Standing up straight twenty four seven and not speaking word to you. The guards back here were more laid back since this place wasn't the most pleasant place to hang out for hours to come or the most protected or watched.

"I will come back tomorrow." I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked right past him.

The halls in this place were dark and gloomy. The walls were made out of strong titanium and the bolts were fixed in tightly. The hanging lights swayed left to right and felt like they would crash on me any time soon. I could hear the others grumbling and swearing behind the walls. There were only a few guards around this place. And most of them would just sleep through their shift.

"Pathetic." I reached the door that would lead me out of this dump. I looked back at the last room in this depressing hallway. "And so is that man at the end of this disgusting place." I spat onto the floor with his name with disgust and opened the door and let myself out.

_How could he wake up each morning not thinking what he has done to us? To the people he used to get to this 'red chain' to nearly open this new 'universe.' God, I hate him._

It was another rainy day. A perfect reflection on what I had been through earlier. The rain kept on falling onto me but I didn't care. I couldn't understand why the girls on the street screamed as they went through the rain with no umbrella and get wet. This is nothing if you compare what I have to go through now. I walked down the main path as cars drove pass me. I could hear one drive extremely fast and ran over a deep puddle and splash the remaining water onto my face. I could taste the dirt in my mouth and quickly spat it out. The lights of the tall buildings provided me light as I finally headed off the city footpath and to my usual road back home.

Small pokemon hid in the soggy old boxes on the side of the walls as I walked through the wet and soggy alleyway. I reached a wooden old pitchfork fence. As a child you would turn back, but not me. There was a small crack at the left side of the fence. I pulled off the old piece and made my way under it. My jacket gain a few tears as it collide with the sharps ends of the fence but it wasn't enough to bother me and stop.

I soon reach the usual muddy path that lead me straight home. The rain got heavier the more I walked down that path. My shoes fell into small muddy puddles making them covered in mud when I took my feet out of them. Teasing nearby neighbours would ride their bikes around this time. They always seem to know what time I would come back home. Many of them headed my way, ready for a collision but sadly they were too smart for that kind of stunt. They quickly turned to the left and splashed mud right into my face by their back wheel that they used to break and turn left passed me.

"Take that Galactic boy!" many of them called. I scraped the mud off my face and turned around to face them. I wasn't pleased.

"This is all your fault old man." I gritted my teeth and shook my head many times to get the mud out of my long lavender hair and continued my way back home.

_Ever since he got caught everything changed. I hardly get a pokemon battle, I won't be able to walk into any store with scaring a family or two and everyone in my hometown disrespected me or my brother. _

Lighting flashed across the night sky. The wind picked up and sending chills down my spine, making me feel terribly cold. My soaked up clothes made me feel even worse since every time the wind blew it would just keep getting colder and colder. My feet soon made their way up the front stairs and to the front door. I knocked on the door many times. But every knock felt so painful and just kept on getting weaker and weaker.

_My brother, Reggie. His is the only family I have left. Family...I wished... I had... one._

It rain continued to fall heavy; I could hear it clash on the roof of the house and the shelter in front of the door. The wooden decks were soaked and the plants were full of drinking so much water. I was getting colder and more soaked the longer I stood there. I felt my legs tremble and soon collapse and fall down to the wooden deck. I back lay against the white front door.

"Where the hell is he?" I asked myself. I looked up as soon I heard that familiar engine sound a car would make. It was the family looking green sea van. The fog began to grow thicker quickly and I saw a shadow figure heading my way. The more he came closer the faster his footsteps became.

He dropped the shopping bags on the decks right near the door in a rush and kneeled down by my side. My head felt heavy and I was getting tried rather quickly. I looked up and saw it was Reggie, calling out my name but each call just got weaker and weaker. Fading into existence. He shook me by the shoulder but my body was going numb. I looked on his face and saw water running down his cheeks. I couldn't tell if it was the rain that did that or he was actually crying for me. He was crying because he cared for me.

Well that's a first for me.

I closed my eyes and began to drift to sleep. I felt so tried, every part of my body felt so painful. My wounds came back every time my mind wandered off to my past. I could feel my older brother carry me somehow and place me somewhere soft. Where it didn't hurt. Where it wasn't so painful to be. My past. It's just a blurry memory now.

It's so faded out and so blurry that there is nothing left of it. Nothing.

**End of the Prologue **


	2. Emotions that don't live in his world

This isn't my fav chapter, why? there is a HUGE OOC moment that im not too sure about. i wrote as much as i can to make it not so OOC but its up to you guys if you find it OOC or not.

And ALOT of people been saying that normally Cyrus is Dawn's father, well i tend to write advanceshipping fics more than Ikarishipping so i don't know. but now that i do, doesn't mean im not going to change anything. the idea of Cyrus begin Paul's father actually came from a old Ikarishipping forums at least a year ago.

(I'm really updating this too fast. 0.o)

**~midnight**

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**Mission One: **Emotions that don't live in his world

One year later...

_To be able to wake up without something to bicker about, that would be a nice change for once._

My first signs of conscienceless were when I could feel my hands grasp something soft and something solid. I knew I was safe. My eyelids were next as they soon woke up from their slumber and let my eyes giving me of a vision on where I was. I was home.

I could feel the warmth of the hot air circulating in the house. The fire place was bright and alive and the hot chocolate on the table had just been made. The hot air coming out of drink somewhat felt relaxing for me. I soon saw little water ripples getting formed in the drink. I knew Reggie was coming down to see me. He had the usual stuff on, that peachy long sleeve shirt with the white pants. He always seemed to wear them all the time. But his hair wasn't in a ponytail, it was down. A smile soon grew across his face but I didn't know why. He sat next at the end of my feet.

"I'm glad you're alright." He grinned. He patted my head. It was of the things I hated him to do was treat me like a child. I knocked his hand off me.

"Give me a break Reggie." I pushed myself off the couch. I regained my balance but getting up from a lying down to a sitting down position made my head sore and dizzy. "What is wrong with me?" I complained.

"You just got a fever, silly." Reggie patted me on the back. Even it was soft it really did hurt me. I had no idea why. "Getting wet like that really took a beating in ya. I mean visit Dad in this kind of weather. I could of-" I soon stood up and looked my older brother in the eye.

"No!" I yelled. "I went there to mock him, to make fun of him. Things he used to do to me. I'm just returning the favour to him." My blood boiled every time my mind would bring an image of him into my head and anyone mentioned him near me. I was heading into my room until Reggie called my name again.

"Paul, please stop this." He sighed. He stood up and looked me in the eye. "Stop hurting yourself. You know that's not the reason you go there. You want him to respect you, don't you?"

_To be able to admit to myself that I'm not lying would be a nice change as well._

"To mock him, to make fun at him. They are my reasons to visit a man like him." And I continued to make my way upstairs. To get my pokemon trained.

I didn't care about about the weather, I didn't care about what Reggie told me and I didn't care about _him. _I only cared to get stronger so I could defeat everything that headed my way. I slammed my door wide open with a huge 'thud' sound. My room was a mess in the eyes of Reggie who always cleaned my room so often that it annoyed me. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out the first drawer. There laid millions of pokemon balls I've caught on my journeys, mostly from here, Sinnoh. I grabbed a random red and white ball and close the drawer and made my way out.

I was half way down the stairs until I noticed Reggie just starting to watch a pokemon battle on television. I soon noticed one of the opponents showed on the screen.

"And advancing to the semi-finals is Ash Ketchum from Pallet town!" an announcer called out and into his microphone, spreading that stupid name into the crowd and pass the television's speakers.

"Can't believe that pathetic trainer even made past the first round." I grumbled.

"Well he beat you didn't he?" My older brother teased and looked over his shoulder. "I heard his in Unova now. How come you don't tag along him? It's been at least a year since you travelled." He asked.

"What am I? His official stalker? I'm sure his friends are doing that job for me." I continued to make my ways down the stairs. I could hear Reggie laugh and then calling to me again.

"Paul please. Rest and train in the morning. You can't battle in the state you are in." My brother called in his usual concerned tone of voice.

"I don't care, I don't I don't care!" I repeated and yelled at him. "I need to get stronger, to beat anyone who gets in my way!" And right after that I ran into the rain.

_I need to get stronger, I need to beat him and earn what I deserve. Respect. _

The weather was horrible in the eyes of others. But I treated this as a perfect condition to get better, stronger. I threw the pokeball into the air and it released a red light and soon hit down to the ground. The red light soon formed a very familiar pokemon to me. He was green and brown. He had a huge thick tree placed on his back with huge thick grey spikes pointing out from his back and the sides of his head. His legs were thick by the strength I've trained him by and he roared his name out to the skies above. His red eyes glowed in the night sky.

"Torterra." I greeted. "I should have known that you would be in that pokeball. "Let's start, knock out those trees with Frenzy plant!" I yelled from the top of my lungs.

My pokemon roared and released its powerful move he had mastered. Giant roots from the ground below erupted and knocked down the trees in front of us. The roots were cover with thorns and would do heaps of damage when it landed a hit on my opponents. The wind picked up speed out of nowhere and made me lose my balance and hit right into Torterra. I placed my left hand on my right shoulder where it collided with Torterra's strong and firm body structure. I was in so much pain, but I couldn't be. I had to be strong, I had to get over this stupid pain I was having. Soon I heard a girl calling to somebody in the forest.

"Come on Mamoswine. We can get through this storm." A girl cheered as she held onto her Pokémon's thick winter fur as she headed to my direction. The huge twin tusk pokemon soon stopped its tracks to run over me and collide into Torterra. A young girl soon dropped down from her Pokémon's back and turned around to face me. I soon knew who it was after hearing her annoying voice.

"Hey it's you, Paul." She pointed right into my face. I noticed she was wearing something different.

She had that red mini dress she wore back in Snowpoint. The mini dress only reached past her waist with four huge pink buttons near the ends of the mini dress. She wore ridiculously high white knee shocks with her usual pink boots. She still had that huge white scarf from before, wrapped around her neck and her usual pink hair clips and white and pink beanie were in their usual places.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Shouldn't I ask you that?" I asked. I soon coughed right afterwards. "Damn. I'm getting worse."

"Wait your sick and you still come out in this weather to train. Wow, hard headed." She teased.

"Not now girl." I held my head. I was getting dizzy once more. I placed my hands on Torterra to help me get up to get my balance. But even that my head just got much worse. "I need to get his respect before I get back home..."

"If you are talking about Ash beating you in the league well you-" But I cut her short.

"It's not only him dammit!" I yelled. Thunder roared across the midnight skies and the wind continued to blow across the forest at the same pace. "It's everyone who thinks I'm weak, useless, and junk!" I turned around to my rival's friends. "Ash is just one of the people who treated me like that!" I continued to yell at her.

"Ash doesn't think like you like that. He respects you because you're such a strong trainer!" She yelled back. "And you're sick. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I know what I'm talking about completely!" I yelled. I soon heard Reggie's car coming towards us. His headlights soon broke through the night fog surrounding us. "The way he raises his pokemon. Love, care, kindness, all those things doesn't exist to me!" My head began to hurt even more and my legs began to shake. I was losing my balance again. I heard the car door opening and footsteps running over puddles and towards me. "I was raised in a world without those stupid things. Why start now?"

_Love, care, kindness. Those ridiculous emotions don't live in my world. They won't and never will!_

It was my older brother Reggie. He placed my jacket over my shoulders. His hair was still down and his teal apron wasn't wrapped around him right. He looked like a complete wreak and I can tell it was my fault. It always was. I tried to push him away from me but my arms just gave way.

"It's alright Paul. Calm down." I could hear her footsteps coming towards me with her huge pokemon beside her. "I'm here." He placed both his hands on my shoulder. "Let's go home." I knew he was talking to all of us, including that girl Ash would always travel with.

"Leave me alone! Leave me like Dad did..." I muttered. I was losing the sense of my mind and what I should tell it do to. Random words were leaving my lips and to the ears of others.

_Somebody stop me, I'm doing it again. I'm feeling...sad again._

I did it again. Every year around this time I would act like a complete fool. I act like a child that lost their candy. I hate this side of me. I spit it with disgust. I want to out of me, leave me alone. Why can't it do that? My mind was losing its senses and let lose the pathetic side of me.

I cried.

I tipped my head down towards the ground so nobody would see in my weak state. I couldn't stop. I just felt so hopeless that I had to. It just, why did all of this happen to me! Pick somebody else other than me! My life is horrible enough. I could feel Reggie pat my head softly. I always hated it but something in my mind told me to let him go, just this once. And that girl that was always with Ash placed her soft hand on my shoulder. I never thought this would happen to me again. Not in front of her, not in front of Reggie.

That night, was a horrible night. I wish it never happen. I wish I could wipe it out of my mind, like my past.

My memory of that night was little. I could hear the passage side doors slide open as my brother guild my in. My eyes were closed tight. My body felt cold. I felt some sort of blanket covering my body. I hate all of this, I hated begin and treated to weak. After that more sounds of openings and closing doors came through my ears. Reggie started the car with the car keys and drove back home. My mind soon fell asleep but came back up alive as soon my ears picked up of sounds of two people talking.

"Reggie what is wrong with him?" She asked.

"He always acts like this around this time of the year. Every year he would come back home for a few days before going back to his travels. I'm surprised he stayed home for a whole year without leaving to a new town." My older brother replied back to her.

"What happens around this time of the year?"

"Three years ago, our old house in a small town burnt down and inside that house was our mother." I could hear a shocked reaction gasp from that girl. "Paul was only seven back then. The experience was so traumatic for him that he didn't remember a thing. He told me that night in the hospital that he couldn't even remember what out mother looked like." Reggie continued to talk in his usual tone of voice. Acting like he wasn't effect by that night. He continued. "Our father, left three days before that accident. We didn't see him again until recently."

"Is that why Paul is like that?" She continued to ask. "And your father. Is he alright?"

"I rather not talk about the issue of my father Dawn." I could hear the gearbox go into a 'park' position as Reggie turned off the engine and the lights went out. "Anyway why don't you stay here for the night? The weather is horrible to even walk through."

"I guess so." I could hear a car door open and feet colliding with the wild wet grass below. That same sound came back as one of them closed their door and made their way to me. I soon felt that same soft hand brushing their fingertips through my hair. "Paul...if I only knew back then, I wouldn't have treated so bad back then. I'm sorry." Soon my side of the door opened wide and someone carried back into the house.

_I hate this. I hate begin so weak. I'm sure he is making fun of me again. Like he always does. Stupid man. _

I felt like I was in a re-run. I fainted in front of my house, ran away again and then fell asleep again. I felt disgusted by myself. Having to rely on others to care for me and make up for my mistakes. I felt so bad in me. I'm ending up like _him. _I sat up from my bed and sat there as I remembered what happen last night. I felt angry when I finally remembered.

"I did it again, didn't I?" My blood boiled once more. "Why can't I get over it, why?"

"Don't you go acting like that again Paul." It was Reggie. His haired was tied back and his apron with on him properly. He even had a tray with waffles and orange juice on top. He walked towards me and placed the tray on the side table next to me. He patted my head again but I took his hand away. "Ha, I see your back to your normal state again. Grumpy as ever."

"And I see you're annoying as ever." Reggie just laughed at me. I looked around me and noticed that Dawn girl wasn't here. "Where is that girl from last night?" I asked.

"Dawn you mean? She left just now. She said she had a few things to do while she was here in Veilstone." He made his way to the entrance of the door before speaking to me once more. "And can you try not to do that again. Go into the rain like that. You make me worry." After that he made his way out of my room.

I make him worry about me?

So there was somebody in this world that cared for me. I looked on the side table and reached over for the plate of waffles. I took a bite but quickly spat it out. I looked at the waffle. Half of it was golden brown and the other was black.

"He burnt it again." I sighed and I continued to eat.

_To be able to accept everything, to accept who I was. Was something I still have to learn._

I finished my half decent, half burnt breakfast and dressed into my usual street clothes. The ones I seem most comfortable. I was walking down the stairs and saw Reggie watching television again, on the same channel I saw Ash on. He was getting interviewed by a reporter on the battle he had and how he lost and where he would head next. All I heard him say was as I headed outside was that he had to do a few things to please a certain someone before going back on the road. That froze me in my tracks.

"That Ash has to do something to please a certain someone? Funny that sounds a little like my situation." I ran out of the house and into town. I didn't hear Reggie call me back into the house since he didn't know I left. He always would let me stay at home around this time since I was going through a painful time and that I needed to relax for a few days. He always thought that trapping me in a house would make a difference. Staying inside one house won't change the past I went through.

The muddy roads was still wet by the storm last night and those annoying neighbour kids weren't up to annoy me again. I took the usual short cut by taking a route through an alleyway and under an old wooden pitchfork fence. Most of the pokemon that had hidden in boxes had become soggy and weak by the rain as I walked right past them. I was soon back on the main footpath of the town. The lights were still on as joggers run right past me. A few cars drove to their work place as I walked to that same place I would always go around this time. Somehow going to _him_ was the only way that helped me get through this horrible state I was in.

I walked up the stairs until I reached that same gloomy old detention place. Most would call it a maximum security jail, I just call it a place where horrible people rot. A dump. I pushed the door forward and saw the same guards that were in front of the doors that lead me to that horrible man.

"Hayden." One of them spoke it that bored cold tone of voice. "Come in." He pointed his thumb to that gloomy hallway where the worse lived to rot. I walked in as they closed the doors behind me. They were the only words they would say to me before closing the doors on me.

I walked past the sleeping guards that I was guessing were meant to be on high alert. I found it hard on how they could sleep so well on those hard titanium walls with thick bolts placed in. I also walked past the hanging lights above me that could fall any moment as I ignore the grumbling prisoners behind the walls and in their little depressed rooms. I finally reached the room I wanted and saw the usual guard that was in front and was in my way.

"Early as usual Hayden." He greeted. He never knew my first name and I glad he didn't. "Is it that time of the year again?" he asked.

"Sadly it is." I sighed. I placed my hand firmly on the metal push down handle.

"Well, take it easy in there. He isn't a morning person you know." He folded his arms and looked at me. "I will be right here if things get rough in there." I didn't bother to reply and made my way in. The room was dark and had very little light in. The window was placed high above the flat bed he was on. The windows had three thick bars going down vertically. The table was more on the right side of the room as his belongings where all over the floor. He was already awake, like he knew I was coming here again.

"So you came back again. Fool." He stood up. The light shined the half of his face. I saw his spiky sky blue hair and his awful eyes staring at me. "Why bother? My look on you won't change."

"I didn't expect you to."I clutched my fists. "I won't forgive you; on what you did to us old man." My anger began to heat up.

"Why that is the first time you used words to relate to the word father." He devilishly smiled.

"You have no right to even call yourself that word!" I slammed the wall with my left fist. "After you leaving us before the fire. You are disgusting!"

"Aw, how hurtful. How can you call me those words to me, my son?" He took a few more steps towards me.

"Don't you dare call me that again, you idiot!" I took a step back. "Your son died after the day you left his mother and brother in the house to die!"

"I know why you come to see me every year since that night. You want me to actually respect you, to love you as my son. Isn't that right Paul?"

_Why do I even bother, I know he will never accept me. He never did. So why am I still trying?_

"Shut up!" I yelled. To hopefully get his words out of my head.

"Deny it was much as you want my son. I'm right and you're wrong." He came up to me. He was so close he trapped me into a corner. I felt so useless. He raised his left arm and pushed his left hand against the wall, above my head. "Well I can help you with that little boy." He grabbed me by the chin. "Help me re-form the red chain!" I pushed him back into the table.

"Your really are insane! How can mother like someone so heartless?" I yelled.

"I'm perfectly fine Paul. In fact I'm going to be released from this dump tomorrow into house arrest. That's how well I am." He pushed himself off the floor and brushed the dust off his body. "And you want me to finally treat you like my son, so help me and I will grant that wish you always want. Help me restore the red chain!"

"..." I wasn't able to reply. This horrible insane man was going to be able to live in a less up tight security home and was going put up an act of a nice man. If I didn't do it there was going to be a bigger chance that his old recruits will and will cause a bigger mess. I knew I had no choice. the world was going to under huge chaos once more. Even if I helped him or not.

_But felt there was another reason behind helping him. I couldn't figure out what it was._

"Fine." I crossed my arms. "What do you want me to do?"


	3. Rights and Wrongs

**Mission Two: **Rights and Wrongs

_I would have never imagined that I would travel with her. She was one of the annoying people I've met. How could anyone stand her?_

"You need me to help you to get to Twinleaf?" She asked for the hundredth time. I wanted to face palm myself on how can someone ask the same question over and over again.

We were in the main shopping centre of the town. The building was at least five stories high and was the main attraction to the town. It was another of those boring humid summer days that I really hated. Wingull's called out their names to other Wingulls and citizens of the town went in and out of the shopping centre with a few making their distance away from me. A few girls were gossiping to each other while looking at me. I knew they were talking to me and asking each other why I was hanging with somebody other than my brother.

"Yes. I haven't been to that town before so I need your help." I lied. I had already been to that small town. I had to do this in order to finish the mess I had joined into.

"Well okay then." She finally spoke words that didn't form a question. "I'll help you." She smiled. "So shall we go then?" She asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "Oh wait!" She quickly added out of nowhere. "We have to tell Reggie that you're leaving."

"Seriously." I sighed. "There is no need for that. He doesn't care if I go or not." I placed my hands into my pockets as we made our way away from the huge shopping centre. She was walking ahead of me with her hands behind her back.

"Not what I saw last night." She spun around and turned to face me. "You have a lot of people that care for you Paul. Why can't you see that?" Once again, another annoying question.

"I don't need nosey people like you to interfere with my personal life." I started to walk ahead of her. I soon stopped when I didn't hear her footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed she was still looking at me. I turned around to face her. We were a few steps away from each other. "What now?"

"I wonder how Reggie can still care for somebody who doesn't do the same back to him." She asked me. I didn't bother to reply. She didn't either and soon walked right past me, hitting my left shoulder on the way.

I turned around and watched her walk ahead of me and I soon tagged along. How could she possibly understand what I've been through? Did she forget her past when she was only seven? I walked behind her and placed my hand on her shoulder and spun her to face me. She looked just as upset as me.

"You have no idea what I've been through girl!" I told her. "No idea." And I took the lead, walking back to my brother's home. To where I have to say goodbye before leaving him again.

I walked down that main path I always took to get home, but instead I had a girl following me around this time. It was the busiest time of the day as cars sounded their horns as loud as they could. Telling the car ahead of them to hurry up. Not noticing that they were stuck in traffic just like they were. Idiots. The tall buildings held the voices of an anger couple a few stories above us. Yelling and screaming like children. Their window was wide open so even the frustrated drivers stuck in traffic could hear them complain and bicker. The annoying girl I had to travel with was now in front and I felt like we were taking turns on follow the leader. The yelling couple soon hit a flower pot placed on their window sill. The flowerpot was heading down towards that girl.

I quickly grabbed her arm and pushed her back to me as the flower pot crashed down onto the cement, the same place where she was standing a few seconds ago.

_I saved her. But I had no idea why._

She turned to face me and looked right into my eyes. Why was she staring at me for? Did she want something from me?

"Thanks Paul!" She cheered and she quickly wrapped her arms around me. I felt completely embarrassed. The crash of the flower pot made half the noise from the traffic to stand still and focus their attention to me and this girl, Dawn. Instead of annoying car horns that I would hear at this time of hour, the muttering of the drivers soon became more annoying than their car horns. I quickly pushed her off me and ran to the usual route I would always take.

I ran down the alleyway that was the quickest way to get home. As I ran down the alleyway I could see the small pokemon hide within the boxes lying around. I reached the old brown pitchfork fence. I kicked the fence so hard that I could imagine it falling over. But it didn't. I soon the sounds of somebody running to me filled the alleyway. I turned around and saw she was still here.

"Did you know how embarrassing that was!" I yelled at her. I was still wondering why I bother to save her if in the end I was left with complete embarrassment.

"I didn't know it would end up like that!" she took a few steps towards me as I took a few steps back but was blocked with the old pitchfork fence. "Why do the town people treat you like some sort of criminal Paul?" my heart stopped with the horrible word.

Criminal.

The way she said that word was with the tone of confusion and sight innocence. Like a child asking what happened to their parents when they go away for a long time. Soon that horrible image of our house burning came into my mind. It was my earliest memory I had. I remember yelling out for my mother to come back as the firemen held me in their arms. I stretched out my arms to the house as far as I could. Hoping that I could just pick my mother into my small hands and she would soon be safe and be with us again.

I waited in that firemen arms and watched the flames die down. As the flames went down, so did my mother.

"How dare you say that word to me!" I complained as I yelled to her. "You're just like the others. Acting first before thinking." I bent down to the crack placed on the left side of the fence and went through. Without caring if she was still following me or not.

I reached that path that always brought me home. With that Dawn girl still following me. After all it was her idea for me to say goodbye to my older brother before heading to Twinleaf. It was around that time when those pesky neighbours would head my way. I saw figures of children on their bikes heading to me. I sighed. I hated when I was right.

Dawn picked up her pace and was walking right beside me. Without saying a word. I hated when she walked right beside me and this close that our shoulders could touch each other if we wanted to. The bikers soon rode onto max speed right toward me. They were going to do that same technique they always did. They headed straight to me and used their back wheel to stop and splash mud onto me.

But I didn't get dirty.

I was shocked with what my eyes showed me. It was that annoying girl that I always disliked. She had taken the attack for me. She had her arms aligned with the height of her shoulders. It was the pose that someone would do to stop an attack of any sort. Her hairs and beanie was covers in mud and the same went with her red mini dress, socks and her boots. The bikers just stood there, just as shocked as I was. I couldn't believe she would get herself dirty, just to protect me. I somehow felt weird as I never felt like this before.

"What right do you have to do this to him?" She looked up, upset and anger. "Splashing mud on people for your enjoyment. How low can you boys get?" She yelled. I had never seen her, this upset on anything before. The bikers seemed a little intimidated by her and ran back the way that came. She turned around to face me and smiled. Her anger and frustrated self just melted off her face completely. Like it never happened. "You okay?" she asked.

"I should be the one to ask you that." She just chucked as I sighed at her.

We both soon stopped at a nearby tree. The tree had a huge shade area and also had a fallen tree log right beside it. She soon sat on that log as I did the same and sat right beside her. I opened my bag and look through my items. My bag was rather empty since I hadn't been travelling for awhile. In there was a few notes and an old version of my black Pokenav from Johto. I dug deep in my grey bag and soon found what I was looking for. I pulled out a sky blue handkerchief and handed to her. I had noticed she was starting to take the mud out of her pink boots. She had taken her right boot off and shook turned it upside down, shaking it up and down quickly to get the mud out of her boot. She soon stopped when she felt I was wiping her face with my handkerchief.

"What are you-" she asked but I interrupted her.

_Then I started to help her as well. Was I starting to be like my brother, was I starting to be...nice?_

"Be quiet and stand still." I replied. "If you didn't take that attack for me we would be home right now." I stopped cleaning her face and handed her the handkerchief. "Use it and keep it." She somehow smiled at me for no reason as she accepted the handkerchief. I couldn't help but ask. "Why are you smiling at me?"

"Oh, nothing." She giggled. "Anyway why do the people in this town treat you like that? They never did this to you when I last visited here with Ash and Brock."

"Go ask the town people. They will do a better job than me." I stood up and started to walk away from her. I never did like standing close to her for long.

"Hey where are you going! Don't you dare leave me now!" She quickly slipped her boot back onto her foot and ran after me. She was now back into her annoying state which I hated to most.

_If I never needed her, then I would have never travelled with her in the first place._

_"I need you to get these people with you." He opened up one out of three yellow manila folders. All held three photos of three completely different people. _

_ One was a young girl by the name of Dawn. I never did remember her name that well. She had long blunette hair with a pink and white beanie with a half pink pokeball design in the middle. She had a short summer ruby scarf wrapped around her neck. She also wore a ridiculously short black mini dress with the ends tipped pink. And also wore pink boots with knee high black socks. _

_"She was one of the first people Mesprit made some sort of contact with. I want you to head to the lake with her and make Mesprit come out and catch it with this ball." He grabbed out a small black ball. He pressed the white centre of the ball to saw me what it was. It was a very rare pokeball. It was a master ball. A ball that never fails to catch a pokemon. The ball had a huge giant white 'M' at the top half of the ball. Showing that it really deal. "I will give you three of these. Use them wisely because once you fail, you fail. Don't show your face in front of me again."_

_ He rolled over the three balls across the table and I soon placed them into my bag. The words he told me, that if I don't do this right, I would fail, stuck in my mind. It didn't bother to leave and I felt it would be there for a long time. Was I really doing this to stop the chaos it will bring again or was I really trying to get his respect Reggie had told me before? My mind began to felt painful and confused, more than before._

_"Are you starting to back out already boy? He mocked me. I looked back at his face, his horrible disgusting face. _

_"No." I clearly stated. I zipped up my bag and turned to face him._

_"Good, let's move to your next target." Then soon he opened the next folder._

"Oi!" I heard a painful call right into my ear. I felt like I nearly fell onto my backside. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not until you yelled into my ear." I rubbed my right ear in which she yelled into. As I reminded myself of that day I didn't notice we were home already. The shelter above the door kept both of us cool from the humid weather as I knocked on the door again. I knocked again and again. Somehow that night, on that cold winter night came into my mind.

Running away from the town people on that night. Running away from the truth about myself. The only words I remember that night was 'father'. I was sure that was the reason I was running away from the town that night. When they caught him the truth about myself and Reggie was scattered across town. Soon the sound of the engine from Reggie's car snapped me back into reality. I looked back and saw he had paper bags in his hands, filled with food he had just bought from the poke mart.

"Well isn't this a surprise." He laughed slightly. "Paul travelling with somebody." He laughed once more.

"We just came here because Paul wanted to ask you something." Reggie blinked at me for a few times. He was never use to that I would ask him for something since I could always get it by myself. I walked a few steps from the door to him.

"I just want to say it was _her_ idea." I pointed to the person behind me. "I need to go to Twinleaf with her. I need to do a few things over there."

"but I thought that you already-" But I cut him short as I did that common sign to be quiet by putting one finger across my lips. He could tell that what I was going to do wasn't right. He continued to play his loving and happy go lucky older brother role towards Dawn. "Oh I see then, you can go with her Paul. Just don't do anything naughty with her." I covered my face with both of my hands and once more I felt embarrassed again.

"Ah...um...I'm going ahead now Paul..." And she quickly walked away from the house in a faster pace than usual. I was going to do the same until I felt Reggie grabbed my left arm.

"What are you really going to do when you get there Paul?" She asked in a serious manner.

"Like you care." I refused to face him.

"I'm asking because I care Paul. Is it something to do with _him?_" he asked once more.

"It's either me or you Reggie. " I pulled my arm away from his grasp and turned to face him. "He wants to re-form the red chain and I'm helping him."

"You do know he is he just using you Paul. Don't fall for his tricks again!" He complained and placed both of his hands onto my shoulders.

"And so am I." He dropped both of his hands off me and made my way.

As I walked away from my brother I couldn't help but look back. Was I really making the right move? By helping out _him _to re-form the red chain once more. Last time he nearly did succeed until Ash and his stalkers stopped him. And now I'm going to bring it back, it's just this time they won't be able to be there to stop it. I turned away from him and looked up towards the sky. It had that common sky blue tinge to it, without a cloud in sight and the wind hardly blew. I began to think to myself.

"Mother."


	4. The good side of the dark side

**Mission three: **The good side of the dark side.

_If I really wanted to fix the mess I got into, I had to make sure nobody else would interfere into it._

Before we headed out I had to retrieve something. Something that he told me would help the red chain activate. I had no idea what it was and I didn't care what it was. I just wanted to get this done and over with.

I was standing in front of the old Team Galactic Storage area. The roof had many holes placed everywhere and in all different sizes. The walls had graffiti all over them and in many colours. The two doors that were in front weren't there. Both pieces were already on the cement floor and by the look of both pieces of metal; there was no door in front of this building for awhile. I had told Dawn to wait at the poke centre while I had to do some 'last minute shopping' I didn't want to look after somebody else that would get their sticky beak into this mess.

As I walked in I could hear the crunching of broken glass bottles under my feet. The hanging lights above me were lose and most had a broken light bulb still intact. Old delivery crates were everywhere and made it hard for me to go further into the old storage building. I reached one last door but big crates were in my way. I pushed a few out of my way until the door was visible to me and I was able to continue my way into the place. I jumped over a few more old and unstable crates and was about to make my way to the door until I heard a voice calling to me.

"What is a kid doing here?" An old hag voice yelled. I glanced over my shoulder.

She looked much younger than her voice had sounded. It was one of those old Team Galactic grunts. The girl had two men by her side .Their outfits were quiet old and rugged. Their sleeves had either had tears or ripped holes in them. Their white tops had stains of dirt on them. The two men on both of the girl's side had their half their pants ripped up to their knee height. The girl's sleeves were ripped off completely and her pants were ripped off until they looked like mini shorts. The boy's hairstyles look more modern and less geeky then the last time I saw them on television and the girl's hair was longer than that Dawn girl had and the colour of her hair was tipped teal from top to bottom.

"Throw him out of here. Only Team Galactic members are allowed in here!" she pointed at me which become a sign for both men to come right towards me, like angry Tauro's would do.

"Wait." I held my hand in front of me. Telling the men to stop charging at me. "I have a message from your boss."

"Do you know how many times we have heard that? Your just another of those pesky children that come in here and play pranks at us!" The girl continued to yell. Both men grabbed me by both of my arms as I struggled to escape. Things were starting to look dull.

"I'm not playing a prank on you! I have met Cyrus myself!" Both men dropped their arms, setting me free. The girl walked up to me. As she walked up to me I had a better view of her. She looked like she was around Reggie's age or younger. Her eyes shot out a frustrated violet colour. She grabbed my hair and pulled on it. She moved her face closer to mine.

"It's Mr. Cyrus Hayden to you jerk." She whispered right into my face. She released her grip on my hair and pushed my into a pile of old crates. She laughed and soon her men joined her as well. They soon turned their back on me. I threw off the pieces of wood from the crates that were on top of me and threw into off me and stood onto my two feet. Refusing to accept what was happening to me. The girl must have heard me standing up and quickly flashed around to face me. We were only a few feet away from each other. "Wow, hard headed." She mocked. "You just don't know when to give up."

"Listen to me fools." I began as I wiped away the blood off my lips. "When I tell him what you have just done to me, he won't be very pleased." The girl and the men beside still weren't convinced. The girl had her arms crossed. Still glaring at me, very annoyed and irritated.

"One more word that is going to come out of your mouth and I swear that I-" But I interrupted her.

"I'm his damn son!" I yelled. I clutched my fists together and closed my eyes. Even I couldn't open my eyes to truth surrounding me.

_When I told them I was his son, I suddenly felt disgusted and horrible about myself._

They all dead silent.

And suddenly how they treated me changed quickly.

_ He flapped the next folder down quickly. Not giving enough time to see who my next target was. _

_"Before that." He began. "There is something else I need to tell you about." He paused and soon added. "To activate the red chain you need to get a key and a few old friends of mine." He placed his hands under his chin and closed his eyes. "In an old storage building is where most of the Team Galactic equipment is. If my source is correct, a few of my workers and my old friends should be there." He opened his cold bitter eyes towards me. "When we got caught they took everything. But before they did, we hid the key there and my companions are hiding there as well. Seek them out and tell them that Team Galactic are back." He added a devilish smile towards me. "And tell them you're my son. When you say that they will automatically believe you." _

_"I'm pretty sure these workers and friends of ours won't believe that were related." I refused to speak the word 'son' in front of him. _

_"They'll believe you. Back before I got caught I actually had a photo of you, your older brother and your mother in my office. Only the people I trusted saw that photo."_

_"Liar!" I slammed my hands down onto the metal surface. "You're not a family man type Cyrus!"_

_"Hmph, let's see."He laughed slightly and soon showed me my next target._

He was actually telling the truth.

"Sorry about that." The young girl apologized. Her voice was much calmer than before. She grabbed bandages from an old cardboard box lying around the building. I was sitting on a bigger than normal old wooden crate watching her grab stuff out of that box. "It's just a lot of kids your age have been coming in here lately. Playing pranks on us." She tied the white cotton bandage around my arm. Still not looking me in the eye. "It's nice to meet you Paul." She got both ends of the white material and tied it into a knot." She soon looked up to me. The frustrated look in her eyes had faded away into calm women. "I've seen a photo of you when you were younger in my boss's office once. You looked very cute back then."

"I wasn't cute." I tried to hide the embarrassment on my face with my long hair but it didn't work.

"Don't be embarrassed Paul." She laughed. She took a few steps back. "There all done." She smiled. I never knew that the grunts he had told me about had a good side to them. That side where they weren't so angry and stressed looking. Where all they cared was to steal other pokemon and make other miserable. The media never really showed that not everyone working for Team Galactic were actually bad all over.

"Anyway my name is Namiya. I was an old assistant of your father's." She winked. "I heard you're not very close with my boss. So what's with the change of heart?" She asked as she took a seat next to me.

"Personal reasons." I really didn't trust this Namiya girl well enough to tell her why I was helping Cyrus. "Anyway he told me that I need to find a key and his companions. Do you know who they are?" I asked.

"Hm, Sure do." She jumped off the crate I was sitting on. It wobbled a little before going back to normal. "By the old friends I'm sure he meant Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Charon." She turned around to face me. "They are all in the old Team Galactic head quarters; it's not far from here." I pushed myself off the crate and walked up to her.

"I think I can manage it myself." I replied. My left leg was limping a little from my crash into the old crates.

"Do you really want to be thrown into a bunch of old crates before they believe you?" She asked. I turned around to face her. "And plus most of the others don't know the boss even had a son, or to even add the fact he had a family. You need me to show you around the place."

"Fine." I pouted. I knew she had a point it just was I hated to accepted that a girl was right and I was wrong.

"But we can't go now." She walked up to one of the broken windows. It was sun setting. The light of the sun filled the whole town as it started to sink down behind the millions of houses in Veilstone. "It's still daylight. Police Jenny might catch us."

"Great." I muttered. "She will be frustrated when she finds out I'm going to be out so late." I was starting to imagine her angry volcanic face she gave to me once before, back at the Oreburgh Gym. And she got that mad just because I forgot her name, I began to wonder how angry she would be when I came back to get her around past midnight.

"Who, your girlfriend?" Namiya asked. Her question brought me back to reality.

"I have no girlfriend!" I complained. "It's just a stupid girl that I'm forced to travel with back to Twinleaf. Your boss's orders."

"Hm, interesting." She started to pace around the room. After a few rounds of walking around in circles she soon stopped with her finger under her chin. "I wonder what the boss wants with a girl that's no older than his youngest son?"

"Like I know." I lied as I crossed my arms. I knew exactly why he needed Dawn. But I had no plans to tell Namiya. I didn't want that annoying companion I'm force to travel with to cross into my path.

_But I began to wonder something. Why was I so worried for her not to interfere into my problems? Did I actually start to care for... her? No, that can't be right. _

Night quickly feel over the town. All the lights from the shops and the houses flashed off one by one. The clear and quiet sky quickly became crowded and overcast. You couldn't see one speck of the night stars above us. Fog quickly engulfed the town and the wind blew cold chills down my spine. It was another of those cold summer nights were it can be hot in the day but freezing cold at night. The night lights of the town soon popped up and with nobody in sight it was a good chance to head to the Team Galactic Headquarters.

My leg wasn't limping much as before and half the pain was gone. I was able to walk slightly faster than the normal walking pace. Every time we would see an unknown shadow figure crossing our path. We both had to hide in bushes, trees, behind a house or a shop. Or when we saw Police Jenny doing her last patrol of the night we had to hide in tight gaps in the house or buildings around us. We kept on moving closer and kept on hiding from anything that looked like a moving object. While the more I did the hiding and running that more I felt like that horrible person, a criminal.

We walked up millions of stairs until we reached it. The Team Galactic Headquarters.

The place was more destroyed then the storage place. The walls that had millions of windows on them had nearly had a crack on them or a hole in them, from the size of a golf ball to the glass wall completely off. The three automatic sliding doors were jammed as two of them wouldn't open and the middle one had the pushed hard to even open at all. The big 'G' at the white dome part of the roof of the place had the bottom half of the letter missing and the yellow arc over it were loose and ready to fall off.

Namiya pushed the middle sliding door hard until it was big enough for her and me to enter into the building. The inside part of the place wasn't as bad to what I saw inside. The creamy brown carpet was dry and sticky but no parts of it were missing. Some parts of the wallpaper began to peel off and the half the furniture was missing. My guess that thieves must of come in here and took it and made it their own. Namiya walked up to a thick metal door. She picked up a key card and swiped it. The door didn't open and first. She hit the machine with her fist a few times before trying again and when she swiped her key card once more, the door opened.

"What are you doing here?" A voice called from behind. It felt like the same greeting call Namiya had greeted with me earlier.

I looked over and saw it was a man, around Reggie's age once more. He was a white vest on with black skinny jeans on with a black long sleeve top underneath. His hair was a dark blue colour. His hair was much longer since I last saw it on television and the top of his hair was pointing up slightly, like horns. Half his face was covered by his long fringe and only his right eye could be seen. On his black long sleeve top had a clear yellow 'G' in the middle. I knew he was part of Cyrus's criminal group.

"Namiya." He spoke in a normal talking manner. "What are you doing here and why do you bring your friend here. You do know the rules around here."

"I know the rules Saturn." Namiya spoke in a formal manner. Like this Saturn guy was in a higher rank than her. "Do you remember that photo that was in the boss's old office?"

"Why do you ask?" He pulled out a cigarette out of his pocket and a firelighter and began to light it up. "That was over two years ago. When those annoying children ruined our plans." He blew out smoke out of his mouth and returned the cigarette back in. I didn't understand the reason for adults to smoke so many chemicals into their body which would end up killing them in the end.

"And remember that young seven year old boy in the photo? The one that was frowning and holding a Turtwig doll in his hands?" She pointed to me. "This is him, Paul Hayden. The son of our boss." Saturn took the cigarette out of his mouth and began to cough. He dropped the cigarette onto the floor and squashed it with his left foot.

"You're joking right?" He asked. Still unconvinced that I was a son of a convict criminal. "That's him?" he pointed at me. Namiya nodded. "But I thought you two weren't close." I knew he was starting to talk to me.

"We aren't and I have my reasons behind that." I crossed my arms together. "He told me to find you guys and get this key to activate the red chain."

"I see the boss hasn't changed one bit. That's why I respect him so much." He laughed. The word respect echoed into my mind. I clutched my fists together.

"How can you possibly respect somebody who only knows to ruin people's lives?" I yelled with anger. I couldn't let Saturn's words pass in and out of my ears just like that. "He only wants to make a new world so he can escape the sins he has left in this one! He isn't the person you should respect because he is really a coward inside; wanting to run away what reality has given him!" Namiya was holding me back by my right arm as the blue headed boy got out a new cigarette and lit it up. He placed it in his mouth and walked up closer to me and blew the smoke right into my face.

"You have a lot to learn Paul." He laughed and walked right past us. I gritted my teeth together.

"His just like him. Unforgiving." I spit his image onto the carpet and shook Namiya's grip off me. I began to head up stairs with the Namiya behind me.

_Now I knew why I wouldn't let her into my problems. It was because once you're in, there was no way out. A problem without a solution or a cure._

The stairs led us to a hall. A huge hall that you would use to summon everyone that worked for you for huge announcements. The room still stayed intact and looked like it was taken cared very well. There were two huge banners with that same yellow 'G' in the middle. In the middle of the hall was a stand. But it was very up high. I could imagine Cyrus brainwashing his workers to do his dirty work. I could have never stood him so why did so many workers work for him and obey him? My mind soon raised questions but was interrupted when a woman with pink reddish hair showed up from the stand. She didn't seem to care if anyone was around but that all changed when she soon saw Saturn gazing at her, slightly annoyed.

"Jupiter." He commanded. "Get down from there!"

"Why should I?" The woman replied. Without a care in the world.

"The boss's son is here!" He yelled. Jupiter nearly fell off the stand when she heard those words herself. I could see she wanted to ask Saturn another question but once glance at me seemed to answer her question somehow. She jumped off the stand and landed on her feet easily. I was surprised that she didn't get sore feet but maybe jumping off that stand many times made her ignore the pain.

She had also changed from the last time I saw her on television. She had the usual white overall but strapless, and the right side of her pants were cut short. She wore black long sleeve underneath as well and she had a black knee pad on the right side of her leg. She had black socks and tight white boots. Much different from that annoying girl I'm forced to travel with. She didn't have those two ponytails anymore but instead she only had one. She walked up to me and took a closer look at me.

"Well you grew up a lot since I last saw you in that photo." She patted on my head. Her patting my head reminded me of Reggie and how annoying he could be at times. She looked away from me and looked around the room. "Mars get in here!" She called out. I knew this could be another of his friends he had told me about.

"Gee, you don't have to yell." A voice called from a hallway behind us. A woman about the same age as the others around me entered into the room.

Her red hair was no longer short, but long. Long enough that it had just passed her shoulders. At the back she still had the piece of hair that stuck out and one pointing upwards from the top. She had some sort of vest dress but only strapless. She also had a black long sleeve top underneath with matching black stockings with high heel white boots.

"Hey Mars, remember that told photo in the boss's old room? Well this is one of his kids." She pointed towards me. Mars blinked at me a few times before replying.

"Yeah I remember it. You are one of his kids. What's his name...Patrick?"

"It's Paul." Saturn answered for me. "Now since he is the boss's kid we should treat him well. We don't want him running off to his daddy to sook." He glanced over to me. "Isn't that right?" 

"Shut up." I muttered. "You have no right to speak to me like that criminal." I spoke that whole sentence with disgust. I truly hated working and dealing with people that relate or knew Cyrus other than my older brother.

"Hmph." He shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway I'm getting Charon and informing about this. Namiya get some of your fellow workers to dig up and find that old key to activate the red chain." Saturn began to command the people around me. "Mars and Saturn, try to find a few equipment that could help us in any way possible. Team Galactic is back." He slightly smiled at the idea of Team Galactic rising from the dead concept. "And I'm guessing the boss left the fun part to his youngest son?"

"What I'm doing isn't fun." I grumbled. "It's disgusting."

"We better head out. The poke centre closes soon and we have to return Paul back there. We don't want to raise any issues right now." Namiya began. "And we have orders to do. We have to get them done as soon as we can." The rest of the group nodded except me.

"See you soon then." Saturn looked towards me.

"Hope not." I turned around to face the three; they all were smiling at me. But it wasn't that happy smile; it was more of the bad smile. The smile you want to avoid looking at. "I really do mean that." And made my way out of the building with Namiya guiding me out.

_Their faces still are fresh in my mind, their like paper and I'm glue and no matter what I do they will stick onto me, and have now become a part of my life._

Namiya pushed the door some more before walking through. The clouds had separated and the moon's glow shined throughout the town. Namiya said her goodbye and ran off into the night, back into that old crummy storage building. I took a few steps down the stairs until an annoying stare was in my way.

"Where have you been?" She called out. Acting and asking questions like any worried mother would do when their child had been gone for a matter of hours. I walked up towards her and covered her mouth.

"You keep talking like that the town will hear your annoying and irritating voice." I took my hand away from her mouth and made my way to the poke centre. "Promise, tomorrow we will get going to Twinleaf." I continued to walk down the steps.

"So what was so important that you had to make me wait that long?" She asked in an angry manner. I turned around to face her.

"It's complicated for a little child like yourself to understand." I turned my back on her and made my way.

"I'm not a child. I'm twelve now!" she bickered but I continued to ignore her. "Hey listen to me!" she added and once more I ignored her. "Paul!"

And like before, I continued to head back to the pokecenter, still ignoring her.


	5. To fool a fool

Lol, my titles never make sense to me. I'm not really good at making chapter names. i try to avoid writing stories with some but sometimes you just can't avoid it. *sigh* anyway this chapter is the start of some Ikarishippiness. enough detail about Paul and what trouble his in. its time for some love, after all, its Valentines day today. let's share the love!

**~midnight **

**

* * *

**

**Mission four: **To fool a fool

_I wanted to get rid of her, to make sure she wouldn't get any deeper into this mess. But I needed her trust, I needed to use her, I needed to fool her. _

It was a new day in my hometown. Flying types were singing, people beside me were laughing and having a great time. Children running around me. Smiles on everyone's faces. Things like that annoyed me. Always did and always will. I walked to the new part of the town, Myself and my new forced to travel with companion looked at the sign, written in black capital letters.

_VEILSTONE SUBWAY_

The words were written on a sign above the stairs. It was placed on a green arc design entrance. There were no signs of scratchers or rude words written on the arc. Underneath was stairs lead down to the subway. The stairs were leading down and it was pitch black. It was nearly six in the morning and I had asked for a train early in the morning, so we would arrive at Twinleaf around ten. Dawn wrapped her arms around herself, hoping it would keep her warm. I looked at her and saw that idea failed as she was still shivering in the cold summer morning. Even she wore a thick white scarf and thick pink boots, the clothing wrapped around her body wasn't really meant to keep her warm for long, the length of her red mini dress truly did prove that statement.

"Don't you have something warmer to wear than that?" I asked. Pointed at how short her mini dress was. "How can you possibly wear something like that so early in the morning?"

"Bee...causee I can...nn." She replied. I could hear her teeth clattering together. I just sighed.

I walked ahead of her and made my way down the stairs. I wasn't in the mood to wait for her and skipped a few steps. I took two at a time while she took one. When I arrived I saw the platform was rather empty. Homeless men and women continued to sleep on benches with newspapers over them to keep them warm. Up ahead of me were many train tracks in many directions and many of those tracks were occupied by old trains that weren't in service anymore. I soon heard Dawn making her way towards me, her teeth still chattering together.

"Nobodyy...isss...enveennn...heree." She complained. "Letsss...go...backk."

"No." I replied firmly. "The train should be here soon. I'm going to wait on those benches over there." I walked myself to a green bench and sat there. I threw my bag right in front of my feet and stared at the entrance where the train we had to take would enter from. I soon heard her bag dropped onto the cement platform and took a seat next to me.

"Sooo..." She opened her mouth. I knew she wanted to start a conversation with me. I had no idea why though. "What made you become a trainer?" She looked over to my direction. I continued to refuse her question. She blinked at me for a few seconds. "Come-on, I won't show you the way to Twinleaf if you keep ignoring me like this." She crossed her arms.

She had a point. I knew how to get to Twinleaf by myself but if it wasn't for the stupid old man of mine I would of never travel with such an annoying person. I knew I had to keep this joke up until I get what I was coming for.

"Because I wanted to. Hands down." The sounds of the train's brakes filled the station. I stood up and threw my bag over one of my shoulders.

"That wasn't the type of answer I was looking for." I heard her grumble afterwards.

"Deal with it." I glared at her. "Next time don't ask questions about my personal life. It irritates me."

Soon the train made its stop and the speakers around the station began to speak. The homeless people in the station treated it like an alarm clock as others treated it as a message to hurry and get onto the train before you miss it. The train had the shade of a pale grey and a few strips of yellow across the body of the train. The windows had red curtains inside and it was hard to see how many people were inside. The doors of the train opened and a few passages got off. We made our way in and soon the doors of the train closed. I could hear Dawn just entering the train and was standing right behind me. The train was rather empty and most of the passengers were still sound asleep.

"Okay then." She pulled out the train ticket from her white and pink shoulder bag. "Our seats should be at seat twenty seven and twenty eight." She pointed her finger and the two numbers located on the train ticket.

"Wait, _our seats?_" I asked in confusion and I turned to her direction, hoping that my ears heard that sentence wrong.

"We are travelling partners now, so where you go, I go to." She placed both of her hands on her waist rather proudly.

"Let's just hurry and get to Twinleaf." I suddenly wished that when I blinked my eyes I would be already there and I could get rid of the extra weight on my shoulders.

But no, I still had to deal with these irritating-always-ask-me-annoying-and-personal questions about me. Suddenly I felt the train move forward quickly which made myself and Dawn move backwards. She screamed as she landed into my arms. We both crashed onto the short dry carpet of the train with my arms around her. I honestly had no idea why I saved her again or add to the fact my arms wrapped around her. I opened my eyes and saw her face totally red and somehow my face had the same shade of red as hers. I quickly let my arms go and pushed myself back from her.

_It was really weird, what I felt for that moment, for those few seconds. Yet the effect lasted longer than that. _

"Do you have to scream like that?" I complained. I rubbed my head. "And be so damn clumsy!" I added.

"The trained moved!" she got onto her knees. Her hands where clutched together in front of her chest. "And you fell to!"

"Because you fell towards me. Idiot." I stood onto my two feet and dusted myself. I walked away from her and started to look for our seats. I soon found the seat twenty seven and twenty eight. I took the seat closer to the window while my companion took the seat right beside me. We both didn't say anything to each other for awhile. I truly did enjoy the peace for the moment until someone had to ruin it.

"Wait, it can't be." A voice called from behind our seats. It sounded like a boy, around my age. "Dee Dee?" I turned around to face where the sound had came from. The name Dee Dee was interesting and I had to find out who this Dee Dee was.

"It's Dawn, Kenny." She replied, slightly annoyed. "Can't you say my name right, even once?" I sighed to the fact it was only Dawn, and probably another of her childhood friends. Most likely just as annoying as her.

"Sorry Dawn." He chuckled and he scratched the back of his head. "I just couldn't help it. I missed calling you by that name."

The boy was by the name of Kenny. He had short brown hair he had a dark sea green long sleeve top underneath his lime green and white striped T-shirt. She had pale white cargo pants on with his brown backpack over one of his shoulders.

"Well I didn't." She crossed her arms and turned her attention away from him and turned to me. When she found out I was next to her she turned away from my direction and just looked straight. She soon sighed and stopped crossing her arms.

"And who is this guy here? Your boy...friend?" She asked nervously. Soon his face went faint pale pink. Did he feel insecure that I was near her? If she didn't see me as her travelling companion I would of chosen the last seat this train had to offer.

"Pfft, boyfriend, I'm just helping him to get to Twinleaf. That's all." She shifted her eyes to me, glaring at me with anger. "It just so happen I'm going there as well."

"Well that's great...I mean I just thought that you were. I mean your hands are on top of each other." We both looked down and noticed that my hand was on top of hers. I had no idea that my hand was even on hers. I quickly took it off. I looked up at this Kenny person.

"Don't get the wrong idea. If I wanted a girlfriend it wouldn't be someone as annoying as this girl." I turned around to the scene outside. It was still dark and I could see the lights of Veilstone starting to flash up one by one. I watched as nocturnal pokemon returning to their homes after a long night hunting for their food.

Silence filled in the cabin as that Kenny boy said his goodbye and went looking for his seat. I looked up at the hand that touched hers. I looked at it for awhile and dropped it down again. I watched the street lights quickly zoom by my window and another one would soon come in and do the same thing. Everything I was looking at was so...repetitive. Then my eyes suddenly saw something rather unusual. I saw a person, its face was blurred out and its whole body figure was transparent. I couldn't tell if that person was a boy or a girl, all I could see clearly was long violet hair, swaying in the breeze. That person's hair was a long as their body. The dress was a bright white and shined out the most. The longer I stared at the strange figure the more I felt like I knew who that person was. As soon my mind discovered its answer something happened.

The darkness of entering a tunnel broke that connection.

Now I was staring at a pitch black window as the train continued to make its way out of the tunnel. Then I felt a soft thump on my left shoulder. Since the cabin of the train was painted black, I couldn't tell what it was. After a few minutes in the dark a burst of light filled the cabins, showing the old repetitive scenery outside. I looked at my left shoulder where I felt something hit onto it. I soon notice it was that Dawn girl; she had already fallen asleep and was now treating my shoulder as her pillow. I looked at her feet and noticed her pink pillow had fallen down there. I reached out for it without disturbing her and placed it on my shoulder. I really didn't want her drool over my jacket.

She continued to sleep like I never had placed her pillow on my shoulder. I was about to reach for my pokedex to look at what possible pokemon I could catch in Twinleaf until I felt somebody watching over me. I looked over back at the window and noticed that strange figure was gone.

"I must have been dreaming." I muttered to myself and opened up my blue Sinnoh version pokedex. While looking at the list of Twinleaf pokemon my eyes couldn't help but notice someone else glaring at me. I looked up and noticed it was that Kenny boy. He was seated more on the left side of the train while we were on the right. He was on his knees, facing towards us and his hands gripped tightly on the head part of the chair. He seemed to notice me looking at him with utter confusion and soon dropped down and sat on his seat normally.

"Weird." I muttered and continued to look at the list of pokemon I could find at Twinleaf.

_She was weird, to an extent that I couldn't handle. Same goes with her friends. They were always so happy, no matter what trouble they seem to be, they always...smiled._

Hours pasted and I finally arrived to Twinleaf town. It was still the same old boring dull town I remember it to be. Same cottage styled houses to the right, small shops to the left and annoying weak pokemon scattering everywhere. The train station to Twinleaf was old, so old that I was afraid the platform would just collapse underneath my feet. The windows were broken and wild weeds started to grow inside the once waiting room of the station. The wooden walls of the station were painted with all sorts of pokemon painted by small young children. Rubbish was everywhere at the station. I was even surprised this place was still somehow safe to hang around.

"It's so good to be home!" Kenny stretched his arms into the cold chilling Twinleaf air.

"Wait, you live here as well?" I asked.

"Yup." Dawn answered for him. "So does Barry." She cheeky smiled.

"You're kidding right?" the thought of Barry coming towards me like a bunch of Tauros haunted my mind. That kid was wild and crazy. I wished he didn't admire my training style and stalked me like a fan girl would do to people they loved. He was a creepy kid but I had to admit. He had fairly strong pokemon.

"But it's weird that Barry and I never met until I started to travel and yet you've met since you were kids." She turned her direction to Kenny. "How does it work?" she asked.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "But at least we've met him right? No introductions necessary?" they both smiled.

"Can we just going?" I asked. I couldn't bear the fact that I was still with her, but now we were here in Twinleaf. I could finally process with part two of the plan.

_"Dawn Berlitz. She somehow has a special connection with the emotion pokemon, Mesprit. When Mesprit was in trouble, she summoned her to help her escape." He slid a photo of Dawn begin summoned to the old Galactic building. "Charon has been doing research about her, her friend involved, the three sprits and the red chain. It seems that the red chain is more powerful with all the three humans they interacted with are near it. If we somehow be able to keep them in a cell nearby with the three pokemon, the power of the red chain will be more powerful than before!" He yelled in excitement and raised his arms in the air. He laughed like a crazy manic would do. The photo of my next victim flipped over by the wind in the room, covering the face of my next victim. _

_"So you want me to travel with her and make her somehow get Mesprit from its sleeping area and catch it with one of these?" I held up one of the Master Ball he had earlier given to me. "Seems simply enough." _

_"Not exactly." He sat down and spoke with a much calm tone of voice. He placed his hands under his chin and closed his eyes. "Catching Mesprit into the ball is the easy part; it's the girl that will be challenging for you."_

_"How?" I leaned back, crossed my arms and placed my feet onto the table. _

_"When you travel with her, you will gain something called trust. When the team will come to collect Mesprit they will collect Dawn as well. Her trust for you will be broken and most likely her friends will come and save the day." He opened his eyes and stared at me. His stare was starting to really annoy me. "I need you to prevent that from happening."_

_"So how are you going to catch her without her trust getting broken?" I asked. _

_"We can catch the pokemon one by one and contain their power in the master balls but humans are different. Their powers can't be released unless their requirements are met. We need all of the three people who had contact with these sprits to meet once more. When that happens you can say their connections with these three pokemon are unlocked for a certain time. When that happens we can start to catch them and hold them in special jail compartments. When they are in there we can use the connection they have with the sprits to increase the bond and power of the red chain."_

_"That's just plain disgusting." I glared at him. _

_"Welcome to the family Paul." He devilish smiled at me and soon followed a horrible sick mocking laugh. _

"Paul?" A voiced called my name, breaking my memory and sending my back to reality. I soon realized it was Dawn. "Stop spacing out will ya?" She asked in a tone a worried mother would use. Something I haven't experienced before.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because we here, at my place!" She raised her arms in the in a slight angle, showing me her home. "Now let's go inside everyone!" She cheered, inviting myself and Kenny to enter her home. "I'm sure my Mom will have some great food inside." Dawn and Kenny smiled at each other as they raced inside the building. I just walked up to building at stared at it for a few seconds.

Her home was rather big than normal homes. It was two stories and had a teal tint colour roof on top. The walls were painted white and the windows inside had teal curtains. All tied up nicely by a sky blue ribbon. Her home was surrounded by trees and many multi coloured flowers. Her home had no surrounding neighbours as such in most towns would. Everywhere I would look at that huge building it seemed to be a happy, warm and cheerful place to be. I sighed at the fact that I had to deal with that and a mother that could be just as annoying as only daughter. Soon the word mother rang into my mind.

"That's right. She has a mother." I looked up at the sky. "Not like me. I wonder how it feels to be loved by a parent?" The country smell of the wind running past my face returned me back to my normal senses. I could hear an annoying voice calling out my name. I shrugged my shoulders and walked into the building, unsure how I would bear inside the Berlitz residence.


	6. Afraid of the truth

**Chapter five: **Afraid of the truth

_To be in a place where I felt uncomfortable was common, especially if it's in a place were the person you dislike lives._

"So you Paul then?" she placed a bowl of soup in front of me. "I'm Johanna, Dawn's mother." She sat on next to her only child on the right side of the table as I sat on the left, in front of them.

The dining room was combined with the living room. The walls were combined with the colours pink and white as the floor were made out of hard timber. There were a lot pot plants around the house and photos. The room was mostly held many trophies cupboards holding ribbons and trophies from contests. The windows all had pink curtains hanging from them and each one showed the scene of a hard worked garden filled with colourful flowers and trees, her homes had a much happier feel if compared to mine.

Her mother looked younger than most mothers I would see when I travelled. Her blue navy hair was short and looked nearly like an afro. She wore a long while sleeve top with a peach coloured apron wrapped around his waist, tied back with a red ribbon. She had knee high blue pants and wore peach coloured slippers. She reminded me of Reggie slightly as he too wore an apron wherever he went.

"My daughter has spoken about you a few times." She took a spoonful of the chicken and corn soup. "So do you have a brother back home?"

"I do." I took the spoon and mixed the soup, looking at all the ingredients spin. "His name is Reggie." I looked up at her. She looked like she had seen a ghost when I mentioned my older brother's name. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"Mom?" Dawn asked. Her mother soon returned back to normal when her daughter called her name.

"Oh, sorry about that." She sweat dropped. I took a spoonful of the soup. "I just thought of something just now." She drank some tea from her cup and added. "So now your here in Twinleaf, what are you going to do?"

"I was planning to go to Lake Verity." I looked up at Dawn. It only in a matter of hours she would soon discovered the real reason why I needed her. I needed to use her to finish one part of the mess I got myself into. "It's not far from here right?" I asked her mother.

"In fact it's only a five minute walk from her. Why Dawn, can you show Paul where the lake is?" Dawn's mother asked her. It was now just getting too easy. Her mother had just did the hard part for me, the part where if Dawn could take me to the lake. If Dawn would agree to it, she would be able to awaken Mesprit, catch it and then leave this old small town.

_But then I thought to myself, I would finally leave this Dawn girl for good. Yet it just didn't feel right to just dump here just like that._

"Of course mother." She smiled. "It won't take me that long to show where the lake is. " She stood up onto her own two feet. "Let's go then."

"As in now?" I asked.

"Yup." She smiled. "We'll be back soon Mom!" she raced to the door as I stood up onto my two feet and tagged behind her.

We ran out of her home quickly and soon found ourselves at the entrance of a thick forest. Long branches of the trees nearby overlapped each other and blocked most of the space of the entrance. The leaves were big and when they were together looked like a curtain, ready to be pushed aside for the show to start. Dawn led the way as she pushed some of the leaves aside and leading me to the lake. I looked up and saw how high the trees really were. So tall that not much light could come through leaving the place quiet dark. I looked back down and saw Dawn getting a poke ball out and threw up into the air.

"Time to shine!" she called. The red and white machine opened up wide and soon red light escaped and collided with the grass below. The red shape moved and soon from the shape of a Pokémon. The light soon quickly flashed as the ball returned back to the trainer's palm. What came out was a fire type, Quilava. "Can you help us light up this dark forest?" the fire type replied with a nod and made the fire on it's back bigger and brighter.

She looked back at me and waved at me to hurry up. I shrugged and continued to follow her. A few minutes later we were at a huge clearing and in the middle was a lake, Lake Verity. Dawn thanked her pokemon and returned it it's ball.

_Now, it was time. Time to get this whole things started, but why did I feel so uncertain about the idea? All I had to do was catch it...right?_

And then something amazing happened. Something I thought only sci-fi novel writers would write about.

The lake started to glow an intense white quickly, nearly the same white that you would see when a Pokémon is about to evolve. The wind picked up quickly and powerful; in fact the leaves on the branches of the trees fell off like they never hanged onto them. Clouds quickly formed around the lake and the sky went nearly pitch dark. I looked back and saw that Dawn was on her knees and was glowing white as well, just like the lake. She had here hands on her head and just screaming, screaming in pain. I felt the odd one out as nothing bad was happening to me. I looked back and watched what was happening around me.

It just felt so unreal. Everything happened around so quickly that my mind tried to convince me this was all a dream. Five minutes ago I was in the Berlitz household and now I'm in the forest, having no clue what is happening around me. I looked up and saw something else to unusual.

There was a man on the branches of one of the trees. He was dressed completely black with a hood covering his face. Beside him looked like a Pokémon but I couldn't catch a glimpse what it was. Was everything happening around me because of them?

"Hey!" I yelled. The man turned to face me. I had full vision of his face but it was just plain black. I felt like this man wasn't a person but a thing. "Are you the cause of everything happening right now?" it continued to stare at me and shook his head saying it wasn't and pointed to the lake. I looked back at the lake and saw a white radiant image floating out of the glowing lake. I shifted my attention to the tree and noticed the thing was gone. I noticed that Dawn's screaming had stopped and saw she had fainted onto the ground and the intense glow from the lake vanished. The only thing that was left was the emotion Pokémon, Mesprit. It stared me with its eyes, still floating above the lake in silence. I reached into one of my pockets and pulled out a master ball. I clicked the only button on the machine which made it double its size.

"You're Mesprit? I've never seen a legendary pokemon in person before." It didn't reply so I continued. "Don't they try to avoid contact with humans? For their own protection?" It still remained still. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

It closed its eyes and it began to glow again. I had an idea that it was going to go back into the lake, making my time getting here completely pointless. But I was wrong. It changed its shape into a human, a human girl ghost. Its hair was pink and was long as her body, she wore a pale pink dress and it continued to float above the water. It opened its eyes and looked back at me. It's eyes shined with a deep violet colour as it soon spoke back to me.

"You have a good heart." It replied. "That is the reason I've showed myself to you."

"Liar." I replied. "What good have I've done to be called such a thing?"

"You saved that young girl behind you." She pointed to Dawn behind me who remained to lay silent in the wild grass. "And I speak from the heart. Words from the heart don't lie." I looked back at the emotion Pokémon who had now taken the form of a human girl just to be able to speak with me. I remember in the books I've read as a child that some Pokémon can take a shape of a human, but never about the three lake guardians, never. It closed its eyes and spoke. "I know why you have come here." It looked back at me. "You need me for so your father can finally accept you into your life, am I right?" I froze. This thing had just read my mind as f it was a book.

"Yes." I replied firmly. "I'm sorry but I have t do this." I threw the ball towards it direction. Mesprit opened its palm and stopped it using its Psychic move. Its purple eyes turned blue as she continued to use the move. It turned its attention from the ball and back to me, speaking once more.

"I understand. I can feel that you don't want to do this, but you're forced to. You're afraid that if you don't accept the role to help your father, your father might call the help from your brother instead. You're afraid to lose your brother to your father. Your brother is the only person you find as your family after the fire four years ago when you were seven. You don't want to lose anymore people that are close to your heart." It paused and soon added. "It is because of this reason I agree to go with you and not by the hands of your father's men. You're different to him and I believe that no matter what happens, you won't end like him. Just promise me I can stay by your side until I'm reunited with Aslef and Uxie." I looked up at Mesprit.

"Agree." It was only a small deal in the end. I just to make sure I would be able to keep Mesprit until I catch Aslef and Uxie. I had no plan on how I would do that as my main focus was catching Mesprit first. Mesprit canceled the attack and let the ball collide into it. The red light engulfed its body and sucking it into the ball. The ball dropped right into the water and seconds later it floated up to the surface. The button in the middle of the machine had stopped blinking which confirmed that Mesprit was now mine. I walked up to the lake a little more closely and grabbed the ball and placed it into my bag. And as quick the bad weather came in, the quicker it fled and returned back to normal, like what just happened to me never happened.

I looked up to the sky and noticed how clear it was. If I had told anyone that a storm had just happened they would just laugh and treat it like a joke. I looked down and back to the young bluenette lying on the ground without conscience. She was lying face down and not moving, for one second I thought she was gone but I placed two of my fingers on her wrist and found there was a pulse. I turned her over to her back and still saw her still unconscious. It looked like her bond with Mesprit really took a big effect on her. Her beanie was off her head and her hair was left in a big mess. Normally I wouldn't care when people I wasn't close to get hurt but she was different. As in I've travelled with her for a few days and it wasn't so easy to just walk away and leave her just like that.

I brushed her fringe with the back of my fingers and I trailed them down to her cheeks. She was so defenceless when she was a state with no conscience. Anyone could just take her and do whatever they wanted with her. I reached out for her beanie and placed it back on her head. Just when I thought no one was around I decided to take her in my arms but somebody interrupted me.

"Hey, whoever interrupted my training with that huge flash will get fined!" I knew who that voice was. I sighed. I heard his footsteps coming towards my location. "Ha I knew...what?" he blinked at me blankly. "Paul and..." he looked down. "...Dawn?" he looked back at me. "You caused that huge flash a while ago?"

"No." I shook my head and decided to carry Dawn in my arms. "Just help me carry her home." I asked. Even though I was hanging with two people that annoyed me so much I didn't have to guts inside of me to leave or ignore them. For once I actually needed help.

_If I only knew things would turn out the way they were then I would never taken the deal. But when I think about it, the words Mesprit come to haunt me. Telling me how nice I'm supposed to be. What a joke._

"Mhmm." She muttered as she moved left and right on the pink sofa, still not awake to find out what really happened to her. Her mother was right next to her, putting a towel on top of her daughter's forehead. Barry was watching her do so and soon followed a sound of a door slamming into the wall of the house. I had an idea it was another of Dawn's crazy friends. I was at the trophy cabinet looking at all the ribbons and trophies stored in it.

"Is Dee Dee okay?" he panicked. I turned around to found out it was that boy Kenny. He had the face of a friend who deeply cared for his friend. In fact he acted like he was her boyfriend, liked I cared.

"She's fine Kenny." Johanna replied as she took off the towel from Dawn's head. She placed it in the bowl full of water and squeezed the water out of it. "She just got a small fever. Nothing serious." She placed the towel back onto Dawn's forehead.

"But what really happened?" He continued to ask in a panicked tone of voice.

"I dunno." Barry put his arms behinds his head. "I was training near the lake and then out of nowhere a huge flash of white covered the whole forest. I came running to the light and saw Paul with Dawn." I could hear Kenny's footsteps come towards me. I decided to ignore him for awhile. He glared at me. I looked back at him. His actions reminded the way Dawn would pout every time I wouldn't reply back to her when she wanted me to.

"This is all your fault isn't it?" He raised his voice slightly. "What really happened near the lake?"

"Don't know." I lied as I looked back at the ribbons in the trophy cabinet. "I just wanted to see the lake and she joined me. When we got there a huge flash came out of nowhere." I continued to lie through my lips. I knew if I told them what really happened they would just laugh.

"Weird." Barry yawned. "That never happened here before. I've never heard such a story before."

"Well then." Dawn's mother stood her own ground. She walked up to the kitchen bench and took the newspaper and gave it to Barry. "Read this." I saw his eyes move from left to right as he read the front page article. I knew he understood the issue when he yelled in shock about the article.

"No way!" He replied in shock. "The same thing happened at Lake Valor? How?" I walked up to Barry and snatched the article off him, hoping to find his answer so he would tone his voice down. I began to read the front page article.

**A FLASHING LIGHT FROM NOWHERE!**

_Late last week, Lake Valor shot out a huge white flash all over the city around midnight. The flash was so bright that it took awhile for the citizens' vision to return to normal. Some people that were near the lake said they saw a young man figure near the lake at the time the event happened. They have said that the man did not stay for long and was gone right before the flash began._

_One witness has reported that he saw the boy catch the guardian of the lake, Aself in a master ball. After the legendary pokemon was caught the huge flash covered the town and the man vanished. The police said there are no leads to the man some of the witnesses have said but they will continue to search in the area until they get more of an idea on how the flash of light happened. _

"So, this must be the same man I saw earlier." I muttered to myself. "And his after the guardians just like me." I scrunched up the newspaper into a ball. I looked up the rest of the members inside the household, waiting for my answer. "The article said that the same flash of light happened last week at Lake Valor and saw a young boy or man near the lake before the flash happened. They are trying to find him but they have no clues to him yet."

"But who would want to do such a thing?" the single parent asked. "I mean look what they have done to my poor Dawn." She looked like she was about to cry.

So that was how I mother would act. They would be overprotective over their child and worry about them constantly. When they were sick they would always be by their side and won't leave until they got better. They would always make sure they were doing the right thing and would do everything they can for their child. Now that I wondered about this, I wonder if my mother did the same back to when I was young. Too bad I've forgotten everything about her. I can't even remember her name.

"I'm sure the police will get the bad man who has done this to Dawn!" Kenny replied. He still had the deep concern a boyfriend would have when their girlfriend got badly hurt. I had a gut feeling he liked her but I was no expert in love so I didn't even bother thinking about it any longer. I turned around to look at the window and noticed it was still sunny. My mind still tried to remember the horrible weather that happened near the lake and try to convince me it was only a dream.

"Hey Paul." I looked to my left and noticed it was Barry, A trainer who idolised my training style. "Just wondering but where are your parents? I mean don't they worry about you?. I've heard your never home a lot and you never seem to mention them, not even once."

"My parents eh?" I turned around to face him. "My parents died in a house fire when I was seven. I can't remember anything past that age." I told him. I lied about the part when my parents died when really only one died which ended up being my mother. My father fled three days ago and didn't even bother to come back for us after the fire. Sometimes I wished he had died instead of my mother.

_Every time my mind flees to my past, I start to turn into that weak useless child that my father would despise. It was a feeling that made me weak. Love was my weakness._

"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation boys but you said you lost your parents to a house fire when you were seven?" Johanna asked. I nodded. "Wait here." She walked up to the bottom part of the trophy cabinet and pulled out an out cardboard box. The top half was dusty and she soon blew the dust away. She soon peeled off the white masking tape that held the top together. She grabbed what looked like a small object that looked light to carry. She turned around and walked up to me and held the object in her hands. I quickly knew what it was.

It was my old Turtwig doll.

It was old and rugged. His eyes were made out of coat buttons and it had stiches everywhere. One half of the leaf on its head was gone and it had a huge rip on its brown shell. I looked up to her and saw she had a relieved smile on her face. I on the other hand was filled with confusion and fear. Confused to find why an old toy of mine was inside of a home like this and afraid to hear the answer I would get.

"How?"

* * *

**Last minuter author notes**

Well what do you think? more supense right? lol. i like doing that, maybe i should stop doing that. haha. anyway all im going to say is your going to be really surprised who that unknown man is. haha. want to take a guess? i might give a clue in the next chapter. =D

**~midnight**


	7. What hurts the most

**Mission six: **What hurts the most

_I thought my past had no connections, as they had burnt down four years ago. Oh how wrong was I. _

"I'm sorry Paul but I really don't know." She spoke in a depressed manner. "I found that box in front of my home four years ago with that doll and your name on it. I decided not to touch anything in that box until I gave it to you."

"Creepy." Barry added. "Weird things happened four years ago right after that fire."

"There was a fire? Here? Can you tell me more about it?" I asked. My past that continued to creep up to me made the trip to Twinleaf actually worth it.

"Yeah. But nothing major." He yawned. "I was too young to remember it. Hey! I got an idea!" He cheered and turned towards me. "Ask Professor Rowan. I heard he use to live near the house that got on fire. Maybe he knows more about it."

"Ask that old man? Really?" I lifted an eyebrow. "All he talks about is Pokémon. I doubt he knows anything about that fire."

"Why don't you give it a try Paul?" Johanna asked. I turned my direction to her. "I'm sure you know the way to his lab. You can't miss it." She winked.

"Sure thing..." I replied as I walked out the Berlitz household.

Everything was happening around me too quickly. First a Pokémon turned into a human girl to talk to me and now my old Turtwig doll comes back to me. Why did a doll like this end up in that home or even in this town? Was my past connected to this small town? I need to know, I _had_ to know.

I walked down the main path that led me to a lab. The lab was located on high hill and was quiet hard to get on top. The lab was in Sandgem town which was only a ten to fifteen minute walk from Twinleaf. Also the lab was surrounded with thick trees that were filled with common Pokémon that could only be found in Sandgem. Soon I reached the old building and it still stayed the same since I last remember it. The building was made out of bricks and higher up, near the roof stood and span the huge windmill, giving power to the lab. I knocked on the door a few times and sighed to the fact nobody was there to answer the door.

"Lousy Professor." I sighed. "Going out into the forest to do research."

"Well well." I heard a familiar voice call from behind me. "Why it isn't Paul Hayden." I turned around to face him. He didn't look a day older with the same outfit he wore all the time with his long brown coat. Underneath was his blue vest with a white shirt underneath it. With a black tie tucked in nicely. He wore his usual long black trousers and in his right hand was his suitcase filled with all his research. "What are you doing back here in Twinleaf?" He asked.

"Do you know anything about a fire four years ago?" he dropped his suitcase onto the grass. He seemed surprised that I asked him such a question. The bag opened up and his notes slipped out.

"Why do you ask?" He knelt down and began to pick his notes back into his brown handbag suitcase.

"Because of this." I held up my old Turtwig doll as he looked up. He had the same expression on his face when I asked about the fire four years ago. He looked down and locked the bag up and stood up, facing me.

"Follow me." he walked right past me and entered me into his lab. Like his appearance, everything stayed the same.

The floor had huge purple tiles underneath and fitted well together. All the walls were covered with machines for pokemon research. There were three huge arc designed windows in front of me with stairs up to them placed on the right of the lab. Also there was a white table with a pink couch nearby. He asked me to sit on the couch as Professor went to the bookshelf and pulled out a toy chest. It was mainly blue with a white outline near the edges. His eyes were focused on the chest. Like something inside it was very valuable. But what did it have in common with the fire and my old toy doll?

"Only the youngest son of Cyrus Hayden would have that doll. Is he your-" But I interrupted his.

"Don't ever use that word in front of me." I stood up quickly. "Now tell me what that chest has to do with the fire four years ago!" I yelled. I was getting irritated that I wasn't getting the answers I wanted.

"Your Turtwig doll, the back is ripped. Put your hand in the hole until you pull out a key." He commanded as he pointed to the chest. "Then use that key to open this chest. All your answers are in here." I glared at him.

"Is this some sort of joke? This doesn't make any sense!" I continued to argue. I looked around and saw my voice was starting to gain attention of other professors and young trainers around me.

"Just start looking for the key and it might solve your confusion." I dug my hand into the hole placed at the shell of the doll. I felt nothing and looked at him, staring at him telling him this was a joke. But as soon I felt a plastic object. I knew that was the key Professor Rowan was talking about. I pulled it out. It was a simple treasure chest toy key. It was silver and matched the toy chest.

_That key was only the start of a bucket load of more questions heading my way, and I had no idea if half of them could be solved._

I looked at the key and back to the toy chest. I tightened my grip on it and thought to myself. What was my connection to all of this? How did the Professor know about _him_? What part did this town have on me? I shook my head to get those thoughts out but they stayed there. I had no choice but to deal with it and proceed. I entered the toy key into the keyhole and twisted it until I heard a 'click' noise. I let my grip off the key and slowly lifted the lid of the toy chest. Inside was a cassette player with a letter.

"What the hell?" I asked and looked up to the Professor. "You're not serious are you?" He didn't reply. I sighed and grabbed out the cassette player and the letter.

"Listen to the tape Paul. Trust me." the Professor asked. I knew asking him why, was a waste of my breath as I pressed the play button on the old cassette player. I heard white noise to start off and was about to turn it off when I heard a sweet innocent voice in the background.

_"Paul." _A voice of a woman called out. _"Come here and talk into the microphone!" _I heard footsteps coming towards the woman.

_"Why? It's not like anyone going to listen to it." _I knew that was my voice. My voice sounded younger than the one I had right now.

_"Who knows? Maybe when you turn old you would want to hear this." _She suggested in a calm manner.

_"But I don't want to turn old._" I heard the younger version of myself complain.

_"If you don't do this, I won't finish making you Turtwig doll you really want." _She teased.

_"Okay Mom." _I walked closer to the microphone. _"Hi." _I spoke in a bored manner. _"Can I go now?"_

_"Yes you can Paul." _I could hear footsteps running away from her. _"Just make sure you don't too far from Lake Verity. I don't want you to get lost! Don't forget we live in Twinleaf. You can get lost easily in the forests." _She called.

_"Yes Mom!" _I replied back.

And the cassette soon clicked once more, telling me that was the end of the recording. I fell back onto the couch with mixed emotions I had ever felt. I looked back at the doll, after hearing the recording a faded memory of me watching my mother hand sow came into my mind. I looked up at the doll. I had received this doll for my sixth birthday. I threw the doll onto the ground and buried my head behind my knees. I couldn't accept what was happening around me.

"No." I muttered. "NO!" I yelled and looked up the Professor. "It's not true. It's all a lie!"

"I'm sorry Paul." She shook his head in disappointment. "I wanted to tell this to you when you first came here but your brother asked me not to. That you were too young to understand." He looked into my eyes. "But you had a right. She was your mother too." He closed the lid of the chest. "Paul, you were never raised in Veilstone but right here in Twinleaf. The fire that happened here four years ago was your home."

"Shut up!" I yelled. "Stop it!" I soon burst out of the lab and down the hill.

The hill was on a downhill slope; with the pace I was running at I couldn't stand my ground and tripped over my own feet, sending me crashing down onto the ground into a puddle of mud. Instead of moving on I just laid there. I didn't care anymore. I didn't want to know anymore. I wanted to just fade away from this world and find a new one. I looked up at the sky and noticed it was overcastted again. The clouds were dark and grey and could rain any moment. But I didn't care. I closed my eyes and opened them up half way. Now I understood why _he _wanted to make a new world. So all the pain and mistakes he did in this one could be avoided in the new world. I could hear the Professor coming up behind me. I looked on my left and saw his big black grey shoes near me. I shifted my eyes away from them. I could hear the sounds of paper begin unwrapped from some sort of envelope. I really didn't care if I was wrong or right. I just wanted to be alone.

"Dear Paul." The professor began to read. "By the time your reading this I would probably be gone. I'm sorry if I didn't spend enough time with you and I wish I could spend my last days with you. I'm sorry if I can't be the person you will look up to and have me by your side to help you grow up. But I know when I'm gone I can rely on your older brother Reggie to look after you." He paused and looked down at me. He noticed I still wasn't moving from my spot. He continued. "You are the most important people to me and I would do anything I can to live by your sides longer, but faith has refused that request for me. When I'm gone I want you to remember that I love you and always will. I want you to achieve your goal and become the best pokemon master you can be. Remember that my son. Love, your Mother."

"Why did you read that to me?" I asked. I still refused to look at him.

"Because you have a right to." He offered his hand to me, offering to help me onto my feet. "You need to find out the truth."

"Why...does it hurt to find out the truth?" I looked at him. "Was I a bad child?" The Professor shook his head. "Then why?"

"Some of these things happen for a reason. It's up to us to find out what that reason is." I stared at him and thought of the words he told me. I accepted his help soon afterwards and he helped to push me onto my two feet. He looked at my clothes. "Stay at my place tonight. You're a little dirty to head back to Twinleaf." He walked past me and up the hill. I was still at the same spot when he turned around to me. "Aren't you coming? The rain will catch up faster than you if you don't hurry." I shrugged my shoulders and walked up to him. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment. I still had the fact that I was born in this small town was my original home town and not Veilstone. I just wanted to find out why my brother never told me about this earlier.

_Even I now knew about the truth of my hometown, I still had many questions about myself to be solved. Which were things I didn't know if I can handle them._

It was around ten in the morning when I was at in front of the lab, sitting on the grass thinking to myself. I hadn't spoken with the Professor since yesterday and I still felt my lips were too traumatized to even start talking about it. I held my Turtwig doll that my mother made for me and gazed at it. Now that I knew about this doll I began to treasure it more than before. I didn't care what the other children would call me; all I cared for was that I now had something that reminded me of my dear mother. I looked up the sky and saw the clouds didn't cover the whole sky anymore. It had a bright tint of the usual sky blue with a few occasional clouds passing by. Flying types flew over me as I closed my eyes as I lay down on the wild grass. I wanted to relax and I didn't want anyone to disturb me.

But I never seem to get that request.

The sound of my Pokenav called me. I dug through my bag and turned the screen on and saw the words _'Private Number'_ flashing numerous times on the screen. I pressed the green handset button and waited for the screen to show the face of my caller. I felt like I could crush my Pokenav when I found out who it was.

"What now?" I asked in an aggravated manner. "I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now."

"I can tell." He spoke at the other end of the phone. "But should you really speak to your father in such a way?"

"You have no right to talk to me like that... criminal." I gritted my teeth together. "Tell me what you want before I hang up on you."

"I just want to congratulate you for catching Mesprit a few days ago. I'm impressed how fast you did it."

"I don't care if your impressed or not. I just want to get the job done." I was now getting very tempted to just hang up him right now.

"Now you do now what's going to happen next right now?" He asked as he lifted up one eyebrow.

"How stupid do you think I am?" I yelled at him. "I know who's next its-" But my conversation with him was interrupted when I heard the door of the lab slam open. I turned around and saw it was Professor Rowan holding a cordless phone, calling out to me.

"Paul!" He began. "Johanna wants you back to her place now. She needs to ask a favour from you!" He yelled. "I would like to come but new trainers are coming today. So I can't drop you off like I suggested yesterday."

"Don't worry about it." I pressed the red handset button on the Pokenav which ended the call. "I mean that's how I got here in the first place." I threw my Pokenav back into my shoulder bag and stood up from the grass. I turned around to face the Professor. I took a breath before adding. "...thanks." I muttered as I shoved my hands into my pockets and made my way back to Twinleaf.

_No matter how far I would run away, I would always end up back where I started. There was just no way out._

A few minutes later I was back in the Berlitz resident. Feeling like my jaw had just dropped down on the ground hard. What was I hearing right? Or was I just having a bad day?

"You want me to be her escort?" I stood up from the pink couch in the living room. "What for?"

"After seeing my daughter like that I decided you will take her to Lake Valor." Johanna replied with her hands firmly on her waist. "She told me that Ash is heading there with a few of his friends from the Unova region for the Wallace Cup. I want you to help her get there." It was just too horrible to bear. I was going to travel with her _again? _I felt like heaven and earth had just fallen on top of me again, and just when I finally got rid of her too.

"Why is Ash coming down from Unova for the Wallace Cup? He isn't a coordinator. I see no point for him to enter and fail again." I felt a boot hit the back of my head.

"Take that back!" I heard her scream from the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder. "Ash is not a failure!"

"No and yes he is." I crossed my arms.

"He bet you in the Sinnoh league so you have no right to talk about him like that!" She pointed at me.

"He just got lucky." I turned to face her. "Now hurry up and get your stuff ready. We are heading to Lake Valor now."

"Wait..._we?_" She asked. I knew she was shocked just like I was. I shifted my attention away from her. She stomped her feet together. "Mom!" She complained. "Why? I can go there by myself!"

"I think I know Paul enough to trust him to take you to Lake Valor, after all his from here." Dawn's mother smiled. I sighed that Professor Rowan had told her about my past and how that I was originally from Twinleaf.

"I don't understand." Her voice dropped down from an angry old woman to a confused little girl.

"Paul was born here, his from Twinleaf as well." She smiled. I felt Dawn rush down the stairs and right by my side. I could feel her body touch my shoulder.

"You're from Twinleaf to?" she asked in excitement. "Since when?" Her distance between me and her was starting to get awkward. I started to walk to the door, ignoring Dawn. "Hey don't go without me!" and she rushed up the stairs and I heard her close the door behind her, no doubt choosing her millions of clothes to take on the trip. I sighed. I could hear the sounds of someone in slippers walk up to me.

"Paul." She asked. She had her hands over her lap. "I heard everything from Professor Rowan when I called him this morning. I didn't know that your family was part of that fire. Sorry."

"No need." I replied. I placed my hands into my pockets. "I wish I knew about this stuff earlier. I wish I knew why my brother never told me about this stuff." I looked down onto the ground.

"Why don't you ask him?" I looked up.

"Not now. I don't want to talk to him right now. I can't face him right now." I soon heard Dawn tripping over her own feet and falling down the stairs and landing on her face. Her mother quickly raced to her aid.

"Sorry about that." She sweat dropped. "So let's go then?" she got up on her feet quickly.

"Just be more careful dear." She mother asked in a concerned tone of voice.

"No need to worry." Dawn smiled. She soon turned to me. "So let's go?"

"Like I have a choice." I sighed and turned around. I placed my hand on the doorknob until I heard Dawn complaining...again.

"Ahh, my shoe!" She panicked "Where is it?" She quickly scoped the room, in search of her missing pink boot. I sighed afterwards.

"This is going to be a long trip."

* * *

**Last minuter author notes**

Wait, nobody wants any hints about the man in black? okay thats fine with me. hehe. now can anyone guess who Paul is after next? lol. its not that hard.

**~midnight**


	8. Slipped through their lips

**Mission seven: **Slipped through their lips

_Like everything wasn't bad enough, I just had to step foot into hell. _

"Paul?" I heard Dawn call out my name in a questioning manner. "I want to show you something before we head to Lake Valor."

"Make it quick." I sighed. I felt her arm wrap around mine as she dragged me somewhere deep in the forest.

We soon past the lake and soon reached to a wall, all covered in weeks and plants wrapping themselves around the cement wall. Big huge trees were behind the wall and looked like there was really now way over the wall. I glanced over to Dawn, annoyed.

"You sure know how to waste my time." I crossed my arms and sighed.

"Wait." She winked at me. She walked closer to the wall and pulled out a long thick vine. She tugged on it a few times to check if was strong enough to use. She looked back at me. "We will climb over the wall." She grinned. "Now come-on lets go!" She grabbed gold of the vine and started to climb on the wall, lifting one foot at the time. As soon she had reached the top it was my turn to climb over it. We were now both on top of the wall and the view were more crowed than the last. High tall trees blocked most of my view and more wild weeks and plants were scattered around the place.

But there was something ahead of me that wasn't covered in plants or green.

It was a burnt mansion.

"This is where you use to live. After the fire broke out I would come here to discover new things and I saw a few things written 'Hayden' on them." She glanced over to me. "When I heard your surname was Hayden, I began to come here a lot to see if my guess was right." She smiled. "And it was."

I didn't bother to reply and instead jump off the wall and enter what Dawn has told me, my old home. I heard her drop down after me as I pushed many leaves and vines out of my way. I soon reached a clearing, there were creamy white dead vines and weds everywhere. As I stepped closer to the home I could here them crunch underneath the sole of my feet. After listening to the dead weeds crunch into tiny particles I reached the front entrance of my former home.

There were a steps leading to the front door. Many of the windows were already broken or chipped. The roof didn't have that classic triangle shape that the Berlitz resident had, it was flat and the home was designed differently. It was more modern mansion to say at least. The first story walls had a white-creamy tinge to it as the second story was more dark chocolate brown. Even most of the house was covered in black there was a few sections of the home that remained unharmed. I walked up the brick stairs that lead to my home and walked through the front door and saw everything was black, ashes of the old furniture had already swiped into the air, leaving a empty old burnt home. I heard Dawn come right behind me, scoping the room like she had never been here before.

"There's nothing here. This is a complete waste of time." I grumbled. I turned around to the door until Dawn got into my way.

"We are not leaving until you're ready to give your past up." She told me in a firm, angry manner.

"What are you on about?" I lifted my eyebrow in confusion. Dawn really never made any sense whenever she spoke.

"Just look around and maybe you will understand." I shrugged my shoulders and turned away from her.

I walked up the stairs which were all covered in ashes. The second story of the home was smaller than the second as it only contained three bedrooms and a bathroom. Well that was what I could get from what was left of the place. I walked into one of the rooms that had the door lock. I placed my hand on the door knob and twisted it to open it, but it wouldn't budge. I shook the handle but nothing worked. I soon decided it was best to knock the door down. I kicked the door down with my right foot and the door slammed onto the ground. Inside I saw a child's room, completely unharmed.

"How is this even possible?" I questioned myself. I didn't bother to think about it and instead enter the room. The walls were painted in a cream colour. In the middle laid a single bed, untouched and showed no signs the person in this room slept in it. The mirror combined with a drawer was placed on the left side on the room as the left side was covered in drawings and toys. I walked up the mirror and saw the bench was filled with toy Pokémon figurines. I picked up a Pikachu figurine, all smiling and cheerful. I placed it back on the bench. "This must have been my room I guess." Then in the top corner of the oval shaped mirror was a photo. A photo I was shocked to see.

It was me and Cyrus...smiling...together.

I quickly grabbed the photo and looked at it longer. How could this be? How did this happen? What the hell happened here? My mind was filled with many questions similar to these and I had no idea how I would deal with them or yet find a answer to each and everyone one of them.

_I wanted to rip it up and watch it burn in flames, but I couldn't. It felt like when I look at that photo, it gave my hope that he could treat me as his son...again._

I looked at the background and saw the photo was taken in front of the house and I had my Turtwig doll in my hands. That gave me a fair idea that the photo was taken after my sixth birthday or maybe a few days before the fire ever happened. I wanted to let it go, I wanted to rip it up, I wanted to shred it to many tiny piece, I wanted to burn it and watch the smiles on our faces melt away into the flames of the fire but I couldn't. As I looked into that photo is somehow gave me hope and convince myself that _him_ treating me as his son can actually...happen.

"Paul?" I quickly shoved the photo into my bag. I didn't want to but I had to hide away from her that Cyrus was my old man, the man that she and her friends helped to go into jail. If she knew he was my old man, everything could go bitter, very quickly. I turned around to face her. "There you are!" She smiled. "Ready to go now?" I nodded. I wasn't in the mood to talk right now, after what I had just seen. I need to think to myself and ask myself why this was happening to me.

We were at the top of the stairs and started to make our way down. My mind was reminding me of the scene I saw in the photo. That happy smile, the cheerful background and how close I was to _him_ but soon a scream knocked me out of my senses and back to reality. I looked down and saw Dawn had skipped a stair and was falling down, and once again I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards me.

_"Stupid girl." _I began to think as I grabbed hold of her hand. _"Always tripping over her own feet and leaving me with the hard part to save her." _I pulled her towards me and she crashed into me, hugging me tightly. I looked down at her saw she was out cold, but why?

The air in the room began to feel slightly eerie as I walked down the stairs, I held Dawn in my arms until we reached the bottom of the stairs and I placed onto the ground. I looked through one of the broken windows and saw the sky was painted black once more. Just like back at the Verity. The wind picked up and sending chills all over my body. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the same thing with the black hood staring at me, and beside it was Azelf, in its spirit form. He was in the form of a boy, with short blue straight hair with simple light blue top and dark blue jeans. He gazed at me with his golden eyes, with such determination and willpower that it started to overpower mine. He raised his arm out to me, opened his palm and continued to look at me.

"Give me back my sister." He replied firmly. I knew straight away he wanted Mesprit. I dug my hand into my bag and got pressed the button located in the middle of the ball. One pressed would make the ball double in size and the next one it would summon a Pokémon out of it, but that didn't happen. In fact it ball didn't double in size to begin with. I pulled the ball out and saw my guess was right. Somehow Azelf and the man in black's appearance had made Mesprit and Dawn unable to wake up from their trance.

"What did you do to her?" I asked. I placed the ball back into my bag.

"I'm surprised you even care for her to begin with." Azelf retorted. "But what's happening to them isn't from us. It simply their connection beginning to refresh in a way, but now." He paused and soon added. "It's a good time to get my sister from you while this is happening." I took a step back from Azelf.

"No." I replied. "I have a deal with Mesprit which I plan to finish." Azelf lifted his eye brow in surprise.

"And that deal would happen to be?" He asked.

"To reunite her, you and Uxie together." I looked at the man in black. He didn't move from his spot since he had come. Even though his face was completely black I had a feeling it was staring at me.

"I can do that for her." He replied. "You don't have to go through this." He dropped his hand down. He was starting to speak in a calmer tone than before.

"As much as I don't want to, I have to do this. You see, Cyrus is my old man. You know who he is quite well." I crossed my arms together.

"You're his son?" Azelf quickly got angry once more at me as his eyes glowed bright neon blue. He was going to use psychic and I was his target.

"Enough!" I heard two people call out at the same time. White light emerged from my shoulder bag and merged into Mesprit, in her sprit form. As for the other voice it came from the thing in black, well now as the boy in black. I couldn't believe when I heard his voice. I never knew it could be _him_. As soon I wanted to open my mouth and ask why, Mesprit had already started to speak. "What he says is true brother." She had her arms stretched up wide. A sign to say no body would go past me without going through her first.

"But why?" He placed his hands deep into his pockets. "This boy has no emotions, but I can feel his willpower and determination to fulfil your promise together. But his heart is empty. Why Mesprit?"

"I'll be the judge of that!" She began to yell. "We only show our spirit form to the people we trust and share the same emotions we have." She glared at the boy in black. "I'm sure you trust that boy well enough to show your spirit form to him." His eyes widen in shock. "I know what you're feeling and what _his_ feeling as well. When it comes to what the human heart feels I'm the person who can tell what it speaks." She looked back at me and slightly smiled. "And this boy has a well intended heart. He doesn't want the people he cares for to get in trouble. That's why your here, isn't it?" I shrugged my shoulders and looked over at Dawn. She was starting to wake up and if she saw all of this, she would freak out and probably faint. I looked back at saw Mesprit knew about it as well.

"Arguing with you won't change the fact you will come with us." Azelf spoke. "I guess we will see you and Lake Acuity." The man raised his arm and returned Azelf back into its ball. The boy looked at them both and raised its hand to its face and widen its fingers, like he had a mask on his face and was going to take it off but he suddenly stopped. He dropped his hand and turned around and went through the window. I wanted to chase after him, ask his why he was doing this and how everyone would react if they knew what mischief he was up to but I felt Mesprit holding my back by my arm.

"Let him go Paul." I escaped her grasp and turned around to face her, slightly annoyed.

"What for?" I complained. "What his doing is just not right, it's not _him._"

"I'm sure whatever his doing he has good reasons to back them up."

"Wait, earlier you said you could feel what it's in his heart. What does he feel about all of this?" I asked. I needed to know since why he was here made no sense at all. She pointed to my heart.

"He feels just like what you're feeling know, an eager feeling to save the ones close to his heart." I grabbed her hand angrily.

"I have no intentions to save anyone here!" I yelled.

"You can lie as much as you want through your lips, but what the heart feels and say will always remain true." She closed her eyes as red light engulfed her and the ball sucked her back into the ball, making the group number drop from three to two. I turned to face Dawn and looked down at her. She had just woken up and was staring at my sleepily.

"What am I doing here again?" She asked, in her usual sleepy tone of voice. She yawned afterward.

"You fell asleep while walking down the stairs." I replied in sarcasm.

"I did?" She asked in confusion. I knelt down and pick her up, and threw her over my shoulder. Since her connection with Mesprit was getting refreshed I knew she was going to act like this for a few more days. Fainting in the middle of a walk, sleeping more often, tripping over her feet more than before, I knew these symptoms and many more to come would happen to her and all I could do was just learn to deal with them and her.

* * *

After walking a few steps out of my old home I placed Dawn onto the wall of the cement wall and waited for her to regain her senses, but as soon I placed her onto the ground I saw she was back to sleep again. I knew her connection to Mesprit would make her sleepy, but nots as much as this. I kneeled down and tap her softly twice on the right side of her cheek. She yawned and blinked at me a few times before asking me more silly questions.

"Where are we now?" She asked. She scratched one of her eyes.

"Outside." I replied. "So your finish sleeping now princess?" I added. I was tried of carrying such a heavy load in such a long distance. "Now let's go." I offered my hand to help her onto her feet. "If you keep falling asleep then I might as well leave you here right now."

"I'll try not to fall asleep, until I reach a bed." She laughed and grabbed my hand. I dragged her up to her feet. She wobbled for a few seconds before regaining her balance. Even though she was standing onto her feet well she still wouldn't let go of my hand. I looked back at her and saw her smiling, at me.

"Do you mind?" I asked. I waved our hands together. "I can't climb over a wall with my hands locked with yours."

"Ah, sorry." She sweat dropped adding a silly smile. "Guess I'm still out of my mind." She laughed afterwards. I looked for a tough strong vine and pulled it down and saw it was strong enough to use as a rope. I looked at Dawn and she was waiting for her go. I thought it was best for her to climb up first, I mean if I went up first who knows what she will do. She still seems to be her trance.

"You go." I offered the vine to her.

"Thanks Paul." She smiled once more and grabbed the vine I had offered to her. She pulled it down a few times before climbing on the wall. I looked at her as she reached nearly to the top before losing her grip, and using me as a landing mattress. I looked up and saw and felt something horrible.

_When I was leaving that place, it felt like something had to go wrong. Something had to happen that would scar me forever and yet, become something important to me._

We had out lips locked.

I pushed her off me quickly and started to spit and wipe my lips clean. I saw she was doing something similar. I turned to face her. Her face was all red, in fact nearly as red as a Marcargo.

"You're so clumsy!" I yelled. After her landing on top of me and our lips locked like that. That was the last thing I really needed. "You can't even climb up a damn wall." She quickly stood up with her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Look Mr Hayden." She began. "The vine broke just as I lost my grip; it was your fault for standing behind me!" I got off my knees as glared at her.

"I was just waiting for my go. It's not like I wanted to kiss you!" I pointed. She turned her back to me and crossed her arms.

"Hmph." She retorted angrily. "I can't believe I shared my first kiss with a jerk like you!" She turned to face me once more, with her arms still crossed. "I wanted to share it with someone romantic and nice."

"Like Ash?" I lifted an eyebrow. I felt like picking on her was one way to punish her on begin so clumsy. "I know you like him."

"Who I like is none of your business!" She pointed at me. Her cheeks were blushing faint pink "You have no right to ask these types of questions to me!"

"So after saving your life nearly three times this is the thanks I get?" I face palmed myself lightly. "Oh why do I have to care for someone like you?" I sighed.

"You...care...for me?" She asked in her confusion. Her angry upset tone of voice had dropped down. She was now speaking in a really innocent way. I soon realised what I had said, that I _cared_ for her. I never had done that to anyone other than my brother.

"Forget I said that." I turned around to the wall, looking for another vine that Dawn wouldn't break. I shifted my attention to her and saw she was...blushing, but what for? "Hey!" I called out. "Are you going to paint your face red all day or help me find a way over this wall?" she quickly looked up at me.

"Um, sure." She kept looking onto the grass as she walked up closer to me. She didn't seem to really focus on helping me find a good vine to use to climb over the wall. I saw her holding a good one as she continued to day dream with a red face.

"This is fine." I said. She looked up and her face went even redder. "Are you sick or something?" I asked, wondering if her red face was part of her, refreshing her connection to Mesprit.

"Nahhhh. It's justttt yyyour handsss areee onn mmmineee." She spoke nervously. I looked where my hands were placed and saw she was right. My hands were on top of hers _again_. I took them off quickly and turned my back on her.

"Just climb up already." I tried to cover the embarrassment all over my face. I soon heard her starting to use the vine as a rope to get over the wall. I didn't hear her scream as she fell to the ground which told me she actually got up to wall. I felt a vine hitting my head.

I grabbed the vine and looked up and saw Dawn holding the other end. Her face wasn't as red as before and she was holding the other end of the vine to make sure I wouldn't fall. As I climbed up the wall I wondered what had got into her to make her suddenly...nice to me. When I reached the top I saw that it was still daylight. I looked back to where Dawn was and saw she was heading down the wall; she did all of this without saying a word. She jumped onto her two feet and turned around and started to walk away from me as I continued to stay on the wall. I watched her as I continued to wonder.

"What has gotten into her?"

* * *

**Last minute Authors notes:**

Oh, who could this boy in black be? well i know and I REALLY want to tell you guys. but it won't be as much fun to write this when i do tell. =)

**~midnight**


	9. The confusion

**Mission Eight: **The confusion

_I never thought she would become a part of me, I hated everything about her but I guess that's what makes her get under my skin._

Three days have passed since that weird incident. With the mansion, that photo, the man with Azelf and Dawn's weird actions. We had now arrived at Lake Valor and we were waiting for Dawn's companions to arrive. While we have been travelling together I've notice something. She isn't as annoying as I first thought. I thought her as an annoying clutz because every time I saw her she would always be doing something stupid. But travelling with her for at least two weeks now, that's change. Yes I do admit she is still annoying, but not as much as before. It's like I've gotten use to her silly actions.

We were both at the pier, for nearly twenty minutes. Dawn was at the waiting dock, playing with her Piplup who was for once, in its pokeball. She was on her knees, splashing water at her water type's face. It giggled as she laughed. I was at the bench and only a few feet away from her. I had my book out, I would always read it every time I had to wait for something interesting to happen but something different happened on that day. Instead of reading my book I was gazing at Dawn and her playing with her pokemon. It felt like watching her was always going to be more interesting than the book I had in my hands. Soon my ears picked up a faint call, up high in the sky. That call woke me from my trance and stood onto my feet, looking up high into the sky.

"Hey!" Another voice called up in the skies. Dawn held Piplup in her arms and stood up, looking up into the sky. A small black image started to come into my view and a few seconds later my mind painted the picture what that image was. It was a plane that could land on water; they were rare so see these types of planes in Sinnoh since it was a region close to the others. "Hey!" The voice repeated. The voice was much louder and more recognisable.

"Wow!" Dawn called out. A huge smile grew across her face. "It's Ash!" She added. "ASH!" Dawn raised her right arm and started to wave back at her friend. "Ash!" She called out.

"He isn't going to hear you from up there." I walked up to her and pointed up to the sky. "Save your breath until he gets down here." I pointed to the platform.

But she wasn't listening.

I blinked at her blankly for a few seconds and saw she hasn't replied or even look at me. She just continued to gaze up in the sky, watching the plane Ash was in and watch it about to come close to us. She looked like she didn't even hear me, like she had cut all her hearing senses and just watch Ash come down from the sky. It felt like she would rather watch her old friend arrive than listen to me. I was surprised she even ignored me without complaining first. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Whatever."

"Huh?" Dawn returned to reality. "Did you say something Paul?" Dawn asked at me blankly.

"Forget it." I sighed.

Soon the plane my old rival was in, touched into the sea. Its landing rails splashed water everywhere but it didn't get me or Dawn. When the plane has stopped moving the passenger side door opened wide and jump out Ash.

"Hey Dawn!" He greeted with one of his goofy smiles. "Long time no see!"

"Too long Ash!" Dawn chuckled. "And I like your new outfit."

I noticed that as well. He wasn't wearing his black vest with that 'V' yellow stripe across it. His outfit made him look somehow, more childish that before. He wore a vest-T-shirt type of top with the half top painted blue and the bottom half white. It had a huge yellow zipper running down the middle and two black lines, one near the shoulders and one slightly lower. His cap was also different; the front half was white with the usual blue pokeball design on the middle as the rest was red. He still wore cargo type of pants but only grey this time. Also his old companion Pikachu was on his shoulder, cheerful as ever.

"Thanks." He scratched his head. "My mother made this for me back home. In fact she is the one always making me new clothes every time I go into a new region."

His mother? Mothers do that kind of stuff? Then I began to wonder to myself that if I didn't lose my mother at a young age would I be as kind as Ash? Would I say things like 'be kind to your Pokémon' or 'Pokémon are our friends' like he always told me? Would I?

"Oh, hey there Paul" Ash waved at me. "I'm surprised your here. I thought you would be in a different region right now."

"If I stay here or not, it's not part of your concern." I replied.

"So Dawn." Ash turned his attention back to Dawn. "Have you been in any contests yet?"

"Not recently." Dawn sighed sadly. "Ever since you left me I haven't been able to pull myself together." Ash placed his hand on her shoulder. I felt like I was ruining their special moment of some kind.

_When he looked into her eyes like that, I felt like I had to stop it before it got worse. But I didn't know how._

"Hey, I was sad when we parted but remember I knew that we were going to see each soon." He added another smile of his. "But hey what matters is that I'm here."

"Yeah your right." Dawn's sad expression soon faded away. "Let's head to the poke centre then."

"Oh now we aren't!" Another voice called from inside the place. Ash turned around and his backpack was nearly face palmed into his face. He grabbed he backpack into his arms and a young girl popped out of the plane. "You told me we were going to eat first."

"Sorry, I forgot about that May." Ash apologized. "I was so excited to see Dawn again." He laughed.

The brunette girl who went by the name of May was another of Ash's friends. I remember watching her do her appeal barely back when I was walking past the Wallace Cup. Also her outfit remained the same since I last saw her on TV. An orange vest that reached up to her waist, with her green fanny pack on her waist with two white pockets on her vest. Black cycling shorts that just reached to her knees and a bright green bandana wrapped around her short unusual hairstyle.

"May?" Dawn asked in confusion. "I thought you were back home after winning the Johto grand festival?"

"Well I got bored doing nothing at home and when Ash told me that he was going to visit you in Sinnoh. I decided I might as well come along." She added a smile. She turned her attention towards me. "And you are?" She pointed at me with a confused look on her face. "Have we met before?"

"No." I replied. I placed my hands into my pocket. "I'm going." I stated to Dawn. Dawn turned her attention away from Ash and to me.

"Huh?" She began. "Where are you heading?"

"To Lake Valor." I replied. "There is something there I want to find out." I gazed at Dawn quickly before I saw Ash walking up to me, whispering a few words into my ears. Something I found unusual for him to do.

"There's no point going there now." He whispered to me in some sort of chilling cold manner, something awkward for him to say before turning to the other two girls. "Azelf isn't there anymore after what happened to him." He smiled at them. "Well then Paul." He turned towards me once more. "Dawn, May and me will head to the pokecenter now. See you there later!" He rushed right past me, letting Dawn and May tag after him quickly before they lost track of him. I watched as the three of them ran off toward the pokecenter and began to think to myself.

_"There's no point going there now." _What does he mean by that? Why did Ash talk to me like going over there was wrong or yet a waste of time?

I walked down the path of the city. Children ran past me with many different colour balloons in their hands, other teenagers eating ice cream on benches in the park, pokemon running around and having fun with each other. I placed my hands firm around the rails of the the fence while in front of me was Lake Valor. Where Azelf was usually found at. I dug my hand into the depths of my bag and released Mesprit, in her sprit form. She sat on the rails, with her back facing the lake.

"So, were finally here eh?" She asked me. I looked at the lake and saw how dark the lake's colour was. "Don't expect my brother to be here."

"I'm not an idiot. Of course I know that!" I yelled. I shifted my eyes from left to right and saw nobody had heard my call. If they heard me they would call me an idiot, talking to myself in front of Lake Valor. "But my head can't get around it that it's _him_. It nots _him!"_

"I find it hard to believe it myself, but we have to find out why his doing all of this. If we don't he will get Uxie soon." Mesprit added.

"Damn!" I placed my elbows against the rails and raised my hands on top of my head. "What the hell is happening around me? It's not making sense anymore!"

"Calm down Paul." Mesprit placed her hand gently on top of my shoulder. "Keep your voice down to avoid any attention. He could find us here. As long he has Azelf with him, he can see me as well. We could get us in trouble." I looked up at her.

"Knowing him, who knows?"

* * *

Hours had passed since the arrival of Ash and May at Lake Valor. Dawn told me when I got back from the Lake that the Wallace Cup was cut off since Wallace had to fight challengers that wanted to take his spot as Champion of Hoenn. It was around midnight and I couldn't sleep because of the words Ash whispered to me. Also adding the face that _him_ was in my mind. I knew who he was but I couldn't come to the fact to accept it. It just wasn't right. I lay on my side, facing the door that was slightly open, letting the light of the halls enter into my room. I threw the blanket over my face to hope to fall back to sleep again but I just couldn't. I soon heard muttering from outside the hall. At first I thought it was Dawn snoring but she wasn't. She was sleeping quietly while hugging her Piplup. I threw the blanket off me and put my violet and purple jacket on me. I popped my head out of the door to listen to the muttering words from the hall. I walked myself out of the room and let my ears guide me to the words I heard. Normally I didn't be bothered with gossipers but the voice I heard sound so familiar that I had to know who it was.

I was at the end of the hallway and was about to walk into the main room of the pokecenter. I hid behind a thick pot plant when I saw Nurse Joy talking to Ash with a scared expression of her face. Ash was rather more surprised than frightened. Nurse Joy nodded before leaving the counter for her to receive a good night's rest as Ash headed to the computers, where trainers would talk either by phone or via videophone. I sighed.

"This is a waste of time." I sighed before heading back but a phrase stopped me.

"I'm surprised someone like you even bothered to call me. What a surprised."

_He acted so different. He spoke so differently. I never saw him that interesting to think about but now, that's all changed._

"So what do you want now?" Ash spoke in an annoyed manner as he crossed his arms. His Pikachu wasn't on his shoulder so I knew this was different to his talks with his close friends. So what did really happen while he was in Unova? Did he change or was he really like this? I _had _to know. "No, Forget it." He shifted his eyes away from the webcam. He turned his attention back to the cam. "Be glad you called? Please."

The person's voice Ash was talking with was all faded and weak and was really hard to here from the hallway. If I was where Ash was standing at then I would be able to hear who this person he was talking to.

"Please be joking. Talking to you is the last thing I want to do." He rolled his eyes. "This is such a waste of time. Why did I bother talking to you? Nothing is going to change." I heard the person responding to Ash's' statement. "If you're going to ramble about things I already know then I might as well hang up on you." He ran his fingers through his hair, looking irritated. "Just shut up." She spoke. "Please."

The more Ash spoke in this type of manner the more shocked I became. To start off he never spoke to anymore in such a negative manner and never got mad at anyone so quickly. Well he did get mad at me when I told him what a pathetic trainer he was but this time it was different. The words he used were words I thought he would ever say. Just what did Ash really hide under that cap of his?

"Don't you dare turn the webcam on." He placed his hand near the keyboard. "I'm not in the mood to see you." He placed on of his hands on his face. "Your looks are always the same, hard to look at." The person on the other side of the conversation yelled in response. Ash looked at the speaker annoyed and with his eyes half open. "Goodnight." He replied as he pressed his fingers on the 'on' button and yawned. "How annoying." He sighed. "That conversation made me hungry now." He added. "Guess I have to hold it in until breakfast." He placed his hands behind his black hair and began to walk to the hallway. I stood up and started to walk towards his direction, pretending I had just waked up and never heard his conversation. I looked up to him.

"What are you doing up so late?" I asked, acting like I was surprised to see him up this late.

"Nothing." He grinned. "Just had to speak to someone important to me." He chuckled afterwards.

"Family perhaps?" I asked.

"Yeah." He let his hands down from behind his head. "Mother just annoying me about some stuff." He walked right past me, bumping into my left shoulder by accident.

"You're a bad liar Ash." I spoke without looking back at him. I heard him stop walking back to his room.

"So are you Paul." He replied before heading to the room he was staying at. I turned to face him and watch him open the door and walk in, without a single glance at me. I was shocked with the words he said.

Did he know I was listening to him? Was all of that an act to get me thinking? Was this new Ash the real him or just a simple joke? At the start I could read him like a book I've read over and over again but now the words have become blurry and I had to now try to read what was left.

_And it felt like the old Ash I knew was gone and this new one, had now become a treat, but what kind of treat did he really pose and what for?_

* * *

**Last minute Authors notes:**

Eh? what's wrong with Ash? want to know? keep reading. =D

**~midnight**


	10. My heart just won't allow it

**Misson nine: **My heart just won't allow it

_When I wake up every day, I feel so uncertain what to do or say. Everything around me changes every day. It's hard to compare yesterday to today._

"That ramen was great!" Ash yawned right after.

"Of course." May grinned. "I always choose the best places to eat."

"I never doubt your great taste in food May." My rival grinned at her afterwards.

"It's a bummer now that the Wallace Cup is cancelled now." Dawn sighed. She had both of her hands under her chin; her elbows placed against the poke centre table and sighed. "I was really looking forward to it."

"Same but complaining for it to come back won't change anything." May comforted her. "Let's just enjoy each other's company instead." She shifted her attention to Ash. "Right Ash?"

"Yup!" He cheered. "We should be having fun instead of mopping like this!" He smiled.

_To compare his personality to now and last night seemed impossible. He was nothing to the boy I saw last night. Nothing._

It was only yesterday since Ash and his friend May had come over to visit their friend Dawn. We were all in the dining area of the poke centre and we all were having our lunch. Ash and May had both finished their fourth meal in a row and Dawn wasn't even passed her first. Me, I haven't even touched mine. Everything around me was confusing; I didn't what to do or what I was even doing. I needed to talk to someone and let them explain everything to me. I crossed my arms in an irritated manner.

"Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills." Dawn poked a handful of noodles wrapped around two chopsticks at my left cheek. "Why haven't you ate your noddles yet?" she asked.

"Because I'm not hungry." I replied. I didn't even bother looking at her.

"But you just woke up." She added.

"Do you always have to be hungry after you wake up?" I asked in a sarcastic manner.

"Just one spoonful please?" She asked as she did that usual puppy eye trick. I glared at her and I soon sighed afterwards. I knew that if I ignored her any further she would never stop annoying me for days to come. "Fine, just one." I looked away from her in an annoyed manner.

"Alright." She cheered. "Open wide." I opened my mouth and she stuffed the noodles straight into my mouth. I swallow the noddles quickly before choking.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I asked in a higher talking tone than normal. I held my neck. "Why so much, so quickly?" I heard this May girl and Ash laughing softly.

"How cute." The brunette girl giggled. "Dawn is feeding him, how romantic."

"Say wha?" I lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Romantic?" I placed my hand down quickly on the table. "She nearly killed me." May continue to laugh.

"Romantic, as in love?" Ash asked in a dense manner. "I didn't see anything romantic with that."

"It's because your just one of does people who won't know what love is, even if it hits you in the head like a rock." May teased. Dawn laughed at him afterwards.

"So true." She added. Both girls high fived each other afterwards.

"Girls." Ash and I said simultaneously. We both looked at each other in a surprised manner. We didn't expect to say the same word at the same time. He laughed right after.

"That was unexpected." He sweat dropped.

Soon I felt an object vibrate from inside of my bag. I lifted the flap over and pulled out my Poke gear and saw the screen light up every few seconds with the name of "old man" flashing at me in thick black bold letters. I pulled out the phone and answer the call. Even though Dawn and her friends were around I really didn't care. I would just pretend I didn't know the man I was talking to.

"I'm surprised you even picked up my call so quickly." He mocked.

"Shut up." I muttered. "I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes." I heard Cyrus laugh right after.

"You are such a spoiled sport." He added. "Anyway I want you to meet me now."

"Are you stupid?" I asked. "Your still in that horrible cell and it will take me days to get back there."

"You're the idiot out of us two." He added. I heard a faint knock on the window. We were all sitting in the corner of the building and on Ash's side was one huge square window and right there was Cyrus, glaring at me in a scary and terrifying manner. I nearly dropped my poke gear when I saw him so close to me and yet outside.

_That evil crazy psycho man was right in front of me, in front of the people that put him into jail. If they saw him there then I was doomed. _

I scattered off my seat as I heard Dawn calling my name to come back. I couldn't come back; my life would go into more darkness if I came back and showed them the light of my real past. I pushed the doors of the poke centre and right in front of me was that horrible man I hated to admit that was the man that brought me here. Cyrus. He had his hands in his brown body length coat and underneath was a simple white shirt and blue jeans. He was smiling at me which irritated me and made me want to wipe it off his face with one slap.

"What are you doing here old man?" I pointed at him. He smirked at me once more.

"To see my youngest son of course." He still had that devilish grin on his face.

"Liar!" I yelled. "Just stop it!" I complained. "Stop it!" I repeated. I glared at him. "Tell me why you're really here."

"Don't tell me." He sighed and placed his right hand over his face in a disappointed manner. "That you even forgot your own birthday?"

Underneath his coat he pulled out a brown paper bag. He dug his hand to the bottom of the bag and pulled out a device, it was known as the poke gear but it was the newest one out in the market. It had a much slimmer design than the last and instead of the old black or grey colour, it was blue instead. Cyrus reached over the item to me. I looked at it for a few seconds before snatching it out of his hands. I looked away from him and at my gift. I wasn't able to look at him. Everything he was doing was so…different.

"I'm not that cold hearted as you think Paul." He remarked at me. I looked up him.

"You need to do better than give me a gift to make me actually respect you." I growled slightly. "But I'm not as stubborn as you think I am." I added. He shrugged his shoulders before turning his back to me. I watched him take step by step away from me and back to where he came from. And suddenly words came out of my lips without permission.

_At that moment, that seemed to be the only moment where I understood what I was doing was actually…right._

"Thanks." I replied arrogantly.

Those words made him stop in his tracks. I saw him about to look over his shoulder but refused to do it. He lifted his hand saying that it was alright or saying no problem. Afterwards he continued on his way. I soon heard the doors of the poke centre open wide and footsteps of a familiar girl came up right behind me. I looked over my shoulder.

"Was that Cyrus right now?" Dawn asked. She asked me in what seemed to be a worried tone of voice.

Then the sound of glass smashed and I was starting to hear the tiny fragments of glass falling down onto the cold dry cement. It was all over, she knew I had to do with something with Cyrus and if Dawn knew, there was no doubt she was going to leave and go after him, with Ash and that May girl by her side. I sighed sadly and turned to face her.

"Yeah." I replied. I showed my new birthday gift to her. "I dropped this today and he just gave it back to me."

"You sure that was all?" she placed her hands firmly onto her waist. "I feel like you're lying."

_Lying is what the truth had become. Lying has become the reason to protect. Lying has become my reason to live._

"Yes. That's all."

* * *

Night had fallen over Sinnoh and the small flashes of light started to pop up in different areas of the town. Dark heavy clouds started to make their way over the town and the wind began to speed up. As the clouds went over us, each star started to blink out of existence as the cloud ran right over them, minutes later only the strong glow from the moon was the only light that shined through the thick barrier of the night time clouds. I watched all of this happen from the window in the poke centre. I was on my bed watching this from the window, looking at like it was some sort of television documentary. I held out the gift my old man had given to me hours before.

"How could I forget my own birthday?" I sighed. I looked back at the scene outside. "Maybes it's because what's happening around me." A gentle soft knock echoed into the room. I gazed my attention to the door and soon it was starting to open on its own. It was a young blunette that I've come to know as Dawn. She was wearing a light pink night gown that reached up to her feet. She looked somehow worried. "What do you want?"

"I heard it's your birthday today." She spoke. "I wanted to give this back to you."

She walked in and in her hands was my old Turtwig doll. A new leaf was added as its head and the eyes were replaced with fairly modern black coat buttons. The rip on its shell was stitched back on and the dirt on it was wiped off clean. Dawn had a slight faint of pink over her face as she walked closer to me, covering her blush with my doll. She reached out the doll to me which gave me the sign she wanted me to take it from her, which I did. But as soon I took it from her she turned from me quickly and move towards the door in a rather quicker than the normal walking pace. I reached my hand to her and gripped my hand onto her wrist. Her strange behaviour was really starting to bug me.

"What is wrong with you?" I complained. "Why are you acting so weird around me?" she continued to refuse to speak with me. "Tell me." I spoke in a much calmer tone of voice.

"A boy like you won't understand anything." She finally spoke.

"When we started to travel with each other you was so open to everything that you never seem to shut up but now you're so quiet that I'm starting to worry about you." I released my grip on her. She stood where I had stopped her, her arms on the sides of her body with her head facing onto the short dry black carpet, her fringe all over her face.

"You're worried about…me?" I saw her head move up but the rest of her remained still. I didn't respond. I soon saw her body twist to my direction. "Why?" I looked into her eyes and saw she was…crying.

_I had never seen anyone like that before, so sad that they cry in their own self pity and shame. To see a girl like her like that, really affected me._

"Why are you so worried about me if I act like this?" She wiped her tears away. I watched her as my mind started to think of an answer.

Why was I so worried about her? Why did I feel so sad when I see her like this? Why do I keep trying to save her every time she just herself into trouble? What is the reason behind all of this?

She rushed towards me and grabbed my jacket. She held it tight and looked into my eyes. Even though she wiped her tears away, she continued to cry.

"Tell me!" She yelled. My mind began to boggle many letters, sentences and phrases together than it all didn't make sense. It was so confusing that my lips made the decision for it instead.

"Because I care for you!" I yelled. She released her grip and I took a few steps back. I looked back on the ground, avoiding seeing the reaction she had after the words I spoke.

_Yes, I will admit. She has grown onto me so much that I started to in fact care for her. But why did it feel such a bad move to make?_

I looked up at her with the corner of my eye. I saw her reaction was just as shocked as I was, her hands cupped over her mouth and her eyes widen in shock or surprise.

"I care for you okay?" I repeated myself. "I don't know why and I don't want to know. It's just I find you as an important person to me."

"That's all?" she had her eyes fixed onto the ground. Her left hand gripped nicely on her right arm. She was starting to shake. "That's all I'll ever be right?" She looked up at me. "An annoying girl that you care about. A girl that is nothing more but a travelling companion."

"What are you going on about?" I asked. "You're making no sense at all!" She shook head head quickly and opened her eyes after shedding a few more tears at me.

"When will you see me more than that?" She yelled.

"More?" I questioned her. She shook her head once more and ran out of my room, leaving me in a huge state of confusion. I lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "What the hell?" I asked myself. "What just happened?"

"Her emotions are playing up, it's that simple boy." Mesprit spoke as a she released herself out of her ball which was placed deep in the depths of my bag. "Our connection is getting to its final stages." She looked at me. "And since I master in the area of emotions, Dawn's emotions are getting affected. Temporally." She stated. "but." She added as she looked at the door where only moments ago Dawn had rushed through. "What she was talking to you about had nothing to do with our connection as it never gets up to that kind of level. Well maybe slightly but mostly it was in her own doing."

"Get to the point already." I sighed. I looked at my doll Dawn has repaired for me as a gift for my birthday.

"I think what she was trying to say is that..." the spirit formed pokemon turned her attention to me. "She loves you."

* * *

**Author's last minute notes:**

I love the cliff-hanger. has to be my most teasing one yet. hehe.

~midnight


	11. Your love will kill me

Sorry for the delay again. -_-" School just came back and i have to get use to waking up early again. I'm not a early person at all so waking up early is a very big challenge to do.

And now we are hitting the good part of the story, i've been waiting to get to this part for a long time. the next chapters are going to be awesome. hehe. Well i hope you enjoy this chapter and i hope i will update my stories much more quicker now thats school is back to ruin my life. lol.

**~midnight**

* * *

**Mission ten: Your love will kill me**

_She loves me, she loves me not so what about me? Do I love her back?_

"No!" I replied with mixed emotions. "You're lying!" I continued to yell. "That's not true!"

"Calm down Paul." Mesprit spoke in a calm manner. "You will wake up the others."

But I couldn't calm myself down. My weakness wasn't love but, to be loved by somebody else. It felt so wrong, I felt so selfish, I felt so guilty. It wasn't right. If I told her why I had to travel with her will she still see me the same, will she still love me?

So why I was an acting like this if I didn't love her?

Dammit why?

I laid my back onto the wall and hit the back of my head once, before letting my back slide down and onto the ground. I covered my face with my hands. I couldn't face myself, I couldn't even face Dawn. I felt so disgusted with myself. I shouldn't deserve to be loved by someone like Dawn. Why was I getting things I don't deserved? I felt something wet coming into contact with my hands. I removed my hands from my face and saw I was shedding tears. I quickly wiped them away but I knew Mesprit knew I was crying. But why was I crying. I don't understand. I hit the back of my head on the wall again.

"Damn." I muttered. "Stupid girl." I spoke underneath my breath.

"So is this the boy with the well intended heart and strong heart Sis?" Azelf spoke. We both turned around and saw Azelf on the window, sitting on the window sill, smirking with teasing eyes. He pushed himself off and he let his master, all dressed in black in. "He looks like a weak fragile little child to me." He added.

"Shut up!" I yelled. I rose up to my feet. "You know nothing!"

"But my master does." He smirked and crossed his arms afterwards.

"How much do you know you-" but I was interrupted.

"Enough to care." He replied.

He dug his hand deep into his coat and pulled out a white envelope. He pointed the envelope to me and moved it up and down as I continued to stare at it. He sighed and moved closer to me and softly patted the white envelope at my right cheek.

"Are you going to take it or what?" He replied sightly annoyed. "This wasn't easy to get."

"What is it? A straight to jail card, hm?" I replied in an annoyed manner. I heard him slightly chuckle before replying to me.

"Open it." He replied. "If I stay here for long she might find out about us." He whispered into my ear. "We don't want her to find out that the man she loves is using her now, do we?" He mocked afterwards.

"Shut up!" I repeated and took the envelope out of his grasp and took a few steps back. "I got the letter now get out!"

"Nah." He sat himself on the window sill and crossed his arms. "I want to make sure you open my gift. After all it's your birthday today isn't it?"

"Keep talking and I will rip that silly hood over your face." I gritted my teeth. He laughed afterwards.

"Oh I'm so scared." He continued to laugh. I sighed and opened the note inside the envelope.

A small note was inside which I knew would be inside. The letter was handwritten in a fancy royal manner. It was written recent despite the style of the font.

"Happy birthday Paul." I looked up and saw the man in black and Azelf was gone.

_Each letter became like a drug, each word become more additive than the last. Each sentence became more shocking than the last. The whole conversation felt painful to read. _

The letter was from my mother.

_Hello Paul, It's me._

_I want to tell my real name to you but I've forgotten._

_In fact I'll soon lose myself in this long battle._

_I was wondering if I could see you._

_I might not be the person you once knew back all those years ago._

_But still,_

_I hope you will still call me your one and only mom._

_~Love Mother._

I felt like heaven and earth had crashed down on me. The person I thought was long gone had risen from the dead. How was this possible? I saw her burn down in our old home in Twinleaf. I dropped the letter down to my feet and placed my hands on my head. Screaming and trying to block to sound entering into my mind. I was trying to stop all of my problems from coming into my mind because I couldn't take it anymore.

I felt Mesprit return to her ball and for what reason I didn't know. I closed my eyes and flashbacks flashed in pure white came into my mind. Screenshots of my unknown past came in faster and faster until I fell to the break of losing it.

* * *

_"Mommy?" A young boy asked as he tugged his mother's light blue apron. "How did you and daddy meet?" The young mother of two turned to her five year old son._

_"In Sunnyshore." She spoke. The young mother picked up her youngest son into her arm. "He was also into building new things. I was into raising pokemon for other trainers." she walked to fridge with the top half was covered in family photos; held with different coloured magnets in the different letters of the alphabet. "See here?" She pointed to a photo of the boy's parents, around ten years old each. "This is me and your father here."_

_The photo showed a young girl with a cheeky grin, holding a small black Murkrow in her arms, looking happy to be by the boy's father, who looked annoyed and frustrated with the girl by his side. _

_"This is me when I was around then. Your father didn't like me at first but I began to change him." She looked to her youngest son. "And then you and your Brother Reggie came into our lives. The best things that happened in our lives." her son smiled._

_"I'm really happy you and daddy met." Her young son giggled. His mother smiled. _

_"Yes, so am I." _

* * *

"Paul!" A voice screamed my name out.

I was fading away from my fantasy and now sinking deep back in my own reality. My eyes woke from their temporarily slumber and my ears began to pick up that voice who continued to scream my name to me, over and over again. My blurry vision faded and I soon saw Dawn with her face looking right down on me with water running down her face. I soon felt that I was in her arms with her friends Ash and May right beside her.

"Hey." I barely muttered. "Stop it." I raised my hand and patted her on her right cheek softly. "I'm still alive you know." I soon felt myself begin dragged to her body for a tight embrace.

"Don't make me worry like that again please." She softly muttered.

I couldn't see her expression but I knew she was crying. I looked at her friend May and saw she was pleased to see that I was okay and grinned as for Ash, he was smiling too.

_Friends, for that moment I began to wonder about my…friends. And if I could call these people…my friends._

"I'm glad to see your alright." my rival spoke. "You really had the three of us worried." He grinned at me. Dawn pushed me away from her and looked me in the eyes.

"We are all going to go now and go back to our rooms. Promise me you will look after yourself." I nodded. I couldn't speak since I felt my face go all red. Dawn smiled and she moved her face closer to my cheek and was about to lay her lips on them but I interrupted.

"You can go now." I interrupted. It was the first thing that slipped out of my lips.

"Alright." She smiled and pecked me on the cheek very quickly. Even the kiss was light I felt my whole head just go red and started to steam. I had never had a girl kiss me before. She stopped the embraced and turned to her brunette friend. May held her hand out and helped Dawn to her feet. She waved at me and walked out of the room with May ahead of her. Ash was about to tag along until I stopped him.

"Ash I need to talk to you." I stood up onto my own two feet. "It's about this letter here."

"Hm?" He turned around to face me. "Letter?"

"Stop playing dumb Ash. I know it's you. You have Azelf with you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "How can I have Azelf? me and May just came here."

"You can stop the act now." I asked in a slightly more irritated manner. "You're after Uxie aren't you?" Ash looked at the hallway and watched the two girls walk away from my room. Ash faced the door with his back and slammed the door shut with the back of his heel.

"I still don't know what you're talking about Paul." He scratched the back of his head. "You must really hit your head hard to think of something like that." He chuckled slightly.

"You have five poke balls on your belt when you normally have six. Where's the other one, hm?" Ash's eyes widen in shock. I had him cornered. He knew he was caught.

He smirked at me devilishly and pulled out a purple and white ball with a pink M in the middle of it from the depths of his pockets. The ball also had two pink circles on both side of the pink M. He pressed the middle and the ball double in size. As pressed the button once more, out came Azelf.

"Why are you after Uxie?" I demanded. Ash stared at me evilly. A stare I was not use to looking at.

"If I am, are you going to try and stop me?" he grinned in a mocking manner. "I'll like to see you try Paul."

This Ash was so different to the one I was always so use to seeing. Is this the real Ash?

"Is this kind, fun loving boy all an act Ash?" I asked with anger. "Tell me!" he smirked.

Ash continued to stare at me, like he was using his auburn eyes to tell me my answer.

* * *

"Paul!" Mespirt called. I opened my eyes and saw I was back in the corner of the room. It took me awhile to notice that everything was a dream. Even when Dawn pecked me on the cheek was also a dream. But what about the letter, was that a dream as well?

I looked onto the ground and saw the letter was still there. Everything was real until the point that I fainted and seeing Ash so evil like that. It was so out of character for him to do such a deed and plus, his voice sounded nothing like the man in black. Why am I thinking things like this?

"You alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine." I lied. I wasn't alright at all. All this confusion and speculation wasn't helping me at all.

"You had a horrible dream when you fainted didn't you?" I glared at her. "What's with the stare?"

"I didn't faint." I corrected her. "I was just tried."

"So how are you going to deal with that gift of yours?" She handed over the letter to me. I accepted it and held it with both of my hands.

"It just says she's alive. It doesn't tell me where to find her." I felt a sting of disappointment within me.

_She's alive yet; she seems still buried deep in my heart. I want to take her home but I feel it will be a stranger I will take home, rather than my own mother._

* * *

"So why are we travelling with them again?" I sighed.

"Because their heading up to Lake Acuity to see the lake and plus Zoey lives up there. I want to visit her." The blunette cheered. I sighed once more.

"And I have to come because?" I asked.

"Because mother said you have to come with me, remember?" She glared and placed her hands onto her waist.

"I thought you didn't like travelling with me and that it was a silly idea for you mother to make us travel together." I saw her face blush with embarrassment. I could hear her friends muttering in the background.

We were heading to Lake Acuity in Snowpoint city. We were taking another train up there since it was the only transport up the mountain other than walking. Even it was mid summer, the roads would still was small amount of snow over them and the surface of the road was unstable. In winter harsh blizzards would blow over the mountain and the roads would be covered in thick deep snow. The train was going to arrive within fifteen minutes and we were all waiting at the departure/arrival port. It was at least seven in the morning and I still wasn't feeling myself.

In fact I haven't been myself in a long time.

Soon I felt something hit my head. I glanced over my shoulder and was shocked to see who it was. As Dawn made her distance from me after embarrassing her, I ran to the person who caught my attention.

"What the hell Namiya?" I asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?" I continued to ask.

Namiya had returned to see me. We hadn't seen each other since Veilstone. She was hiding in a tight alleyway where the wall of the station and a fence were very close to each other. There were boxes and old ripped bags everywhere with train tickets scattered everywhere. Namiya was sitting on a pile of bags and boxes as I climbed up the mountain of old luggage to speak with her.

"I'm on orders from Mr Cyrus Hayden to follow you from now on." She stated to me in a formal manner. I face palmed myself.

"I have no time for this." I replied, slightly irritated. "Dawn's friends are travelling with me; I don't need you to tag along as well."

"I won't join your group. I'll pretend that I don't know you and you do the same." She explained. "Since there is only one lake guardian left, we need to make sure we get this one. There have been rumours that Team Rocket is after the lake guardians as well."

"Team Rocket?" I asked. "That group?" I lifted an eyebrow. Soon three images of those weird stalkers of Ash's came into my mind. "If you talking about those three who are always after Pikachu, then you have nothing to worry about." I looked over my shoulder and saw nobody had noticed I was gone.

"They are a criminal group to be feared with Paul." Namiya spoke. "They have done some major damage in the Unova region. I believe they might take Uxie for their purpose there." She handed me her poke gear with had the mixed colours of white, yellow, black and teal. "Saturn and the others want to talk to you." I glared at the phone and slowly picked up the object.

"What now?" I asked. Talking to anyone relating to my father really made my blood boil.

"About time you picked up the phone." Saturn replied in a mocking manner.

"If your going to mock me over the phone; then there is really no point talking to you." I tightened my grip around the machine, ready to break it in many pieces.

"Fine, I'll get to the point." He sighed and added on. "At Lake Acuity, we will take Mesprit and Dawn from you when you have caught Uxie of course. You need to get there fast before that man that is rumoured to be from Team Rocket gets his hands on it. We will fly down onto your group when Uxie is caught."

"And how do we know Uxie hasn't been caught yet by that man?" I asked, pretending to be half interested in his plan.

"The man hasn't caught Uxie yet because he needs the person that has a connection with Uxie first off. Uxie will be completely useless without its other half. But, surprisingly it's not that gym leader guy, Brock. It's somebody else."

"I know." I stated. "I knew that from the start." I turned to look at that brunette girl. She was laughing and smiling while talking to her friends, still unknowing that they were walking into a deadly trap.

_Finally he opened the second of the third manila folders. One held the photo of Ash in his Sinnoh outfit. He was grinning with his Pikachu on his left shoulder. He soon placed the last folder in front of me and opened it up and it was a photo of a brunette girl with an interesting and yet strange hairstyle. _

_"This one is Ash Ketchum which I'm sure you know very well and this is one is of his good friends, May Maple." _

_"I understand why his on the list." I placed my finger over Ash's profile picture. I soon pointed at the young girl. "but wasn't it Brock that Uxie called to help ruin your stupid plan?" I teased. _

_"Brock was the closest person it could call at the time. You see, sometimes the person doesn't have to see a Pokémon to make a bond with it."_

_"I don't get it…" _

_"You see my foolish son, when Uxie opens its eyes and a human looks into them, they will completely forget their meeting. This May girl went into the cave where Uxie was at the time to evolve her Eevee and I'm guessing the two must of met and Uxie did what it felt was right at the time; it was to open its eyes and make May forget them ever meeting."_

_"You are such a stalker." I spoke underneath my breath. I looked at both of my new victims. "And how am I going to make these two come over here? These two people are in completely different regions!" _

_"Let me worry about that." He closed his eyes and placed his hands underneath his chin. "You just worry about getting Uxie when your there." He glared at me. "Alright son?" He grinned at me devilishly. _

_"Don't speak that word in front of me you disgusting old man."_

"And you decided not to tell us this because?" Mars asked this time. Saturn and given up talking to me and gave it to the red head.

"Because I thought you idiots would have known by now." I stated.

"If you weren't your boss's son I would already killed you." Mars spoke in an annoyed manner.

"I'm so scared." I said sarcastically. Soon the brakes of the train echoed all over the station and I saw many heads turning in all directions looking and calling out to me. "Anyway I have to go, I might get caught talking to fools like you."

"Arghh!" Mars yelled as I ended the call. I looked at Namiya.

"I expect you to be there as well Namiya." I spoke. "I have a feeling things won't go according to plan like my father told me."

"Wait, you referred Cyrus as your father, I thought…" but the horns of the trainer interrupted her. I looked over my shoulder and saw Dawn was making her way to my direction. I looked back at Namiya.

"Forget I said Cyrus was my father, just go!" I spoke. Namiya nodded and quickly made her way out. She ran up the piles of boxes and jumped over the fence and I made my way down to greet Dawn.

"There you are!" She greeted. "I was wondering where you went." She smiled. I looked behind her and saw Ash and his friend were making their way onto the train. "Come-on, we better hurry or we will miss the train!" She grabbed hold of my hand and rushed me to the train.

_When she held my hand like that, I felt so complete._

I felt so underserving of her love to me. It would make sense that she had some kind of romantic feeling towards me which I felt like I didn't deserve such a well earned reward. The signs she was showing towards me and that talk with Mesprit proved that. She was so kind and so innocent and all she wanted to do was fulfil her dream which was to become a top coordinator. But I felt like I was in her list of important people to her. Whenever I would go for awhile she would be the first to come to look for me, when I was down she seemed to be by my side at times, when I needed her help it seemed that her being with me was already making the pain go away.

_When I held her hand back, it felt like I was finally responding to her calls of help._

I tightened my grip on her hand but and she seemed to notice but continued to run to the train. Hoping we wouldn't miss our ride.

Why was I thinking like this? Why did I feel like I had to return something back to her? Was I starting to find her a big part of my life?

Did I love her back as well?

Was all of this confusion happening because I loved her?

I never thought I would be thinking of that word. It was so uncommon of me. I never felt like I this before toward anyone. I mean I cared for my older brother because he has been by my side for the whole of my life, I didn't care at all about my father and I'm begging for that love from my mother I miss so much. There are so many different types of love and many more ways how to get it. It's how we react to it that still remains the same. We react by loving them as well. We tell them by saying we love them as well and our lives won't be the same if they parted.

It's confirmed then.

I wouldn't be thinking about this if it wasn't for her.

I don't know if this is right or wrong.

Dawn…

I love you too.


	12. Fading into the background

I'm so happy we finally reach the best part of the story so far. i've been waiting to get up to this chapter for months. So of course, its longer than most of my chapters. enjoy!

**~midnight**

* * *

**Mission eleven: **Fading into the background

_Whenever I would battle, I knew I would win because I felt so confident about it. But when it came to love itself, now that was a totally different story._

After hours stuck in the train we arrived at the coldest part of the Sinnoh region, Snowpoint city. Up here it didn't matter if it was in the dead heat of summer or the chilly breeze of winter. There was always snow over here despite the weather in the other towns. We all got our luggage and bags and hoped outside onto the cold platform. My hair blew everywhere as the cold breeze of the morning blew at us. Normally I would stand right beside Dawn as we waited for the other passengers to get off before we got get the other bags. But today was different. I kept my distance from her. I don't know why but my body and mind told me to do so, like I had to do this to calm myself down. After all, after I capture Uxie. Dawn will no longer be with me. I had to get use to the feeling of begin alone again.

_Alone. That word feels so sad to hear. Before I embraced that word but now, I want to get rid of it from me. Hoping not to return again._

She glanced over her shoulder towards me. As soon our eyes made contact I quickly shifted away from her. I had to stop this feeling towards her. It isn't right. I shouldn't be in love with her. I'm using her. I don't deserve someone like her. I'm a bad man like my father.

She soon stopped walking and without noticing I walked right into her. After bumping into her I quickly moved back. Ash and his friend May also noticed this and turned toward Dawn and me. Dawn quickly turned around to face me.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She said, straight to the point. I didn't bother to reply. "Paul!"

"I'm not avoiding you." I lied. "I just want some space." She grabbed me by my jacket. I knew her sudden burst of anger was caused by her connection with Mesprit.

"Liar!" She yelled. May and Ash came to Dawn's side. Trying to get Dawn off of me. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong with you!" I shifted my eyes away from her once more. "Paul!" She repeated.

"Dawn, that's enough!" May wrapped her arms around the blunette. Soon she pulled Dawn off me. After that Dawn began to shed tears. A complete turnaround to the angry untamed young girl I just witnessed.

"Paul still doesn't trust me." Dawn began to weep. She gazed at the cold concert platform for the train station. "After all we've been through you still ignore me!" and soon after she ran off the platform leaving the three of us in such confusion.

"Dawn!" May shouted a few seconds later and chased after her. And then there were two.

"What did you do to her this time?" Ash asked in a serious manner. A tone of voice that even I heard it before, still felt foreign to me.

"Nothing." I replied. "And why are you talking to me like I did a crime against her?"

"It's just I don't like seeing my friends getting hurt like that. "He looked at me. "I'm just worried for her."

"So you like her then?" My lips slipped my thoughts out of my mouth.

"I like her as a friend. Nothing more." He crossed his arms. I was surprised to see Ash talking to me with such a serious tone of voice. "I just don't like my friends begin used." He glared at me. "You will never do that to Dawn right?"

Why was he glaring at me like that? Did he know why I really travelled with Dawn? If so, how?

"What on earth are you talking about?" I lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"Never mind." He sighed. "I just care a lot for my friends." Soon the serious side of Ash faded away and return the goofy annoying boy I disliked. "But before that. A weird guy dressed in black wanted me to give you this." Ash pulled out a white envelope from his vest pockets. "It's about your mother."

_His actions are not coincidence no more. He knew something about my plan. He knew something and I needed to get it out of him._

I accepted the letter from him and looked back at him. He looked at me so confused and innocent. My mind started to be convinced that he knew nothing about my plans. But I had to be strong. Ash knew something about this. I had to stay on track.

"How do you know it's about my mother?" I asked as I lifted one of my eyebrows.

"The man who gave that letter to me said it will be about your mother." Ash replied. He looked down the track where May and Dawn had ran down. "I'll go get May and Dawn. You do whatever you have to do about your mother." And he chased after the two girls and I was soon left alone on the platform.

"Ash knows something about this." I clutched my hands tightly. I sighed afterwards and opened the letter.

_The statement was simple but it played a huge part of who I truly was._

"Your mother is in Snowpoint city. She lives in a small cottage in the outskirts of the City. She lives alone. Waiting for you."

I tried to hold the letter tight in my hands but I just couldn't. The shock that the letters read to me was just too much. Finally my mother was alive and was not too far from me. So why did I feel so scared and nervous?

"My mother…is alive." I looked down the path that led outside of the town. "Wait for me a little longer, Mom."

* * *

It was only a ten minute walk but felt like hours. The newly fresh laid snow made it hard to walk through but I didn't care. The house was small and covered in snow. It was covered in so much snow that you couldn't tell there was a house there. The wind blew hard and scattered snow right into my face. I had a feeling that this part of the mountain was where most of the blizzards would happen. Staying out here too long would only make me sick. I placed my hand on the cold doorknob which was covered in snow as well. I twisted it and heard a 'click' sound and knew it was unlocked.

Inside was a woman, around the age of forty's, the same like my father. She had long beautiful violet hair that reached to her waist. A yellow long sleeve dress with an orange ribbon wrapped around her waist. She had orange heels with white knee high socks. She also had a white scarf wrapped around her neck with white mittens over her hands. Her eyes were just like mine, Onyx.

_They weren't my mother's eyes no more; instead I was looking into a complete stranger. _

The room was simple. It had peach coloured walls with timber flooring. There was a fireplace, alive and lit. There were windows with red curtains covering the scene outside. There were many photos encased in different coloured frames with photos of her family, but they were all very old and crinkled yet she still kept them in high quality frames. There were books and a radio but there was no TV. My mother lived in a very old fashion home.

"Who are you?" She titled her head in confusion, like a little child. "Are you here to fix me up?" She stood up and swirled around in a circle. She looked back at me. "Why are you just standing there Mister?" I didn't reply right away and she soon continued to dance.

"You don't think like us do you, no more?" I asked. She stopped dancing and looked at me. "You've become mental."I added as she giggled afterwards.

"You're a strange man mister." She giggled some more before replying to me. "But you look a lot like my youngest son, Paul." I decided to play along with my mother.

"So where is your son?" I asked.

"I had to leave him with his brother in search of their father. I had to leave them to protect them." She quickly dropped down onto the wooden floor and sat down. "I wonder where they are." She soon burst into laughter.

"Do you miss your sons?" I continued to ask my mother.

"Of course." She smiled to me. "I wish Paul could come and visit me soon. My husband Cyrus has been coming here a lot. You look a lot like him Mister." My mother added.

Cyrus? Of all people, is coming here to visit my own mother and hasn't told me? Not once? And just when I started to admit him he was my father. I clutched my fist and closed my eyes.

"Why didn't he tell me?" I yelled. "That bast-" but a felt my mother embrace me. Making my sentence come to a halt.

"Don't be made at your father." My mother spoke. I knew she finally noticed me as her son, but in her mental condition that could all change very quickly. "You don't know how much he really cares for you. Do you know why he set up Team Galactic?" I didn't reply. She soon added. "Because he wanted to give you and your brother a better future, Paul. He never wanted it to turn out like the way it did." She pulled away and placed her hands on my shoulder. "The fire wasn't his fault. It was just an accident."

"Mom." I spoke.

_But instead this stranger's body was my mother. That was all I was after all. _

"Yes?" She replied. I was surprised she hasn't turned back as a seeing me as a stranger.

"I'm really happy you're alive." I slowly raised my trembling hands. "I really missed you." Mother clasped her hands over mine.

"Same here." She placed her right hand over my cheek and wiped a few of my tears away. Only at that moment did I notice I was crying. Soon she took a few steps away from me. "Wait, who are you again mister?"

_I knew from that moment that I had lost my mother again. And she had lost me._

"A friend of Paul's." I lied. "Anyway what is your name Miss?" I asked. Inside of me I felt so depressed. I worked so hard to find my mother to only lose her like this.

"Amber." She smiled. "Tell your friend Paul to visit me okay?" I nodded faintly.

I turned around quickly and made my way quickly to the door and walked right through.

_I knew that if I looked back, my heart would bleed with the pain I had to face._

I quickly closed the door behind me and sat right down on the snow. My back was against the door as I hid my face behind my knees; my hands wrapped around my legs. I found my mother, but she hasn't found me. Why was it like that? I must have been a bad person to deserve all of this.

Wait, I am a bad person. I'm using the person I love for my own personal gain. What a foolish person I've become.

I'm such an idiot.

"Hey Paul!" A voice called. I looked up and saw it was that Zoey girl, one of Dawn's friends and rival. "Get over here!" I glared at her and ignored the red head. I dug my head once again. I heard a faint mutter of her complaining before she yelled again. "It's about Dawn and the others, their missing!" She quickly grabbed my attention. I looked up and got onto my own feet.

"What?" I yelled back. "Dawn is missing?" I she her head nod.

"And so are Ash and his friend, May!"

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself. "Did the others move without my signal?" I gritted my teeth and ran towards Zoey. I looked over my shoulder one more time and save my mother waving at me, warmly. I faintly smiled back at her before I turned back to Zoey. Ready to face the serious issue I was forced to face. "What do you mean their missing?"

"When you and Dawn had a little argument! That's what!" She bent forward with her hands on her waist. "What do you do to her this time, jerk?" I was ready to yell back right at her.

"I have no time for this." I sighed. "Look you go back into town while I'll go to Lake Acuity." I suggested. She stood up properly and crossed her arms.

"Fine by me." And she turned away and headed back the path she came from as I headed to the lake.

_And everything was happening like a book I've read more than once. I knew what was going to happen next. _

The lake was placed up high in the mountains that you had to climb up it to reach it. The snow started to pour down onto me like rocks and the wind constantly lowered my vision the higher I went. My fingers began to get numb and for one moment I thought I got a frostbite. I soon made my way to the top and it looked like a party. Not only Team Galactic was up there but Team Rocket as well. Team Rocket didn't where their old white uniforms but went black instead. Either way it didn't change my view on them. Near the entrance was Namiya. She soon noticed me going up the mountain and came to my aid.

"About time you got here." She muttered. "Your friends just came in and looks like May and Uxie are going to rekindle their connection." She offered her hand to me and I gladly accepted.

"After this your going to take Dawn away from me right?" I spoke. She looked at me in a sad manner.

"Why are you talking like she is important to you now?" Namiya asked. She looked at me who was just gazing at the snow. "You…like her now?" I turned my head away from her; I was still looking at the snow. "How cute." She giggled.

"Look, I got Dawn and the others to save. There is no time for this." I stood up onto my two feet. "This plan, it's plain stupid. Making the red chain come back again, It's a waste of time!" Namiya quickly covered my mouth.

"Shut up." She whispered into my ear. "If anyone from Team Rocket or Team Galactic hears you say that. You're dead. No questions asked." I pushed her hand of my mouth.

"So why are Team Galactic and Team Rocket here together? I thought their both after Uxie and that girl?"

"Simple." Namiya began. "Both groups don't want to cause a problem. We don't want to get caught now."

"Arghh!" I complained. "Let me through." I asked. Namiya crossed her arms.

"You know I can't let you do that. Even if you're the boss's son."

"I have Mesprit with me. If you want the plan to go ahead, let me through!" I knew I caught Namiya in a trap. She knew that without Mesprit, Dawn was useless like wet paper. Not only that, Ash was useless as well because he didn't have Azelf with him. This plan was going to fail. She let me aside and I went through. The others wanted to stop me but a single sound will get not only the team in trouble but me as well. I couldn't risk that.

The lake remained the same from the last time I saw it. It was huge and clear. The only difference was that the lake was iced all over. This was the lake I had my six on six battle with Ash a few months back. Before us both went to the league and him going to the Unova region. In the middle of the lake there was a crack, as I looked around I saw Uxie in his spirit form, holding a fainted May in his arms. He was a boy with short golden yellow hair with a simple yellow coat with yellow-brown cargo pants. He had glasses that nearly made his golden eyes fade away.

Dawn in the other hand was scared and shock. She was hugging herself in order to clam herself down but it wasn't working. As for Ash, he was nowhere to be seen. I had a fair idea that maybe Team Rocket caught Ash or even Team Galactic.

"Whattt...jj...j... just happenn?" Dawn stuttered.

"I'm guessing you're my sister's counterpart. Mesprit right?" Dawn didn't reply. Uxie gazed to me. "Or is it you?" I nodded. I threw the pokeball up in the air and Mesprit in her spirit form soon came up. "Mesprit." He faintly smiled. "It's nice to see you in person once more." I shifted my attention to Dawn who was more confused than ever. She looked over to me and looked slightly relieved to see I was alright.

"Big brother." Mesprit began. I walked over to Dawn to help her settle down. "It's nice to see you again."

"You alright?" I whispered to Dawn as the lake guardians talked to one another. Dawn shook her head.

"I'm so scared and confused." She spoke back to me. I could see tears building in her eyes.

"Dawn, please forgive me for what's going to happen next." I spoke sadly. "I didn't mean for things to turn out like this."

"Where Azelf, Uxie?" Mesprit asked.

"His here." Uxie replied as he held May closer to his body to keep his host warm.

A sudden gust of cold wind blew right towards us. Dawn wrapped her arms around me for protection as Mesprit went to her brother's aid. We all looked where the gust of wind came from and saw it was Azelf with his host. Who was still covered in black from head to toe.

"Azelf!" Uxie yelled in a formal manner. "Stop this immature behaviour this instant!" Azelf just laughed.

"Tell that to my master." He shifted his attention to the person he trusted. The person Azelf trusted so much that he showed his sprit form to him. Like Mesprit and me. He turned to face him. "Are you sure master?" Azelf's master nodded.

"It's time to end this." He spoke before removing his hood. A team of Team Rocket grunts came up behind him. I knew he was his men. What I didn't know what was to expect when I saw the man in black to take off his hood and show who he really was.

"No. It can't be." Dawn gasped as she cupped her hands over her mouth. "No!" I embraced Dawn more to calm her down. The two lake guardians continued to embrace May. To keep her warm enough until she woke up.

_And finally we had reached the climax of the story._

His face was filled with such sadness and disgust. His eyes spoke all the words he couldn't. It also wanted to speak the words it could. His lips were frozen still with shame. His hair blew all over the place as a tear was shed and ran down his cheeks. When I looked at him I couldn't believe what was in front of me. Finally I knew who the man in black was. I just couldn't accept it. Out of all people it had to be him.

"Ash?" I spoke underneath my breath.

"Go." He softly muttered. "Get them both. Leave Paul to me." The grunt nodded and ran towards everyone except me and grabbed hold of them. He walked pass me and right up to May and held her in his arms as his grunts capture Mesprit and Uxie. As for Dawn they simply tied her hands together and gagged her mouth. Ash and I had our backs facing one another. I refused to look at him.

"So it was you in the end Ash." I laughed slightly. "Out of all people." The grunts began to take the sprits with them first.

"Yeah." He sighed. "It's funny how small the world can be at times." He turned to face me as I continued not to look at him.

"You used May like I used Dawn. I can't believe how similar we can both be at times." I shoved my hands into my pockets. I turned to face my rival. "You're the son Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni right?" He gazed away from me. "Tell me!" He held May closer to his chest.

_I placed the folders and all the information into my bag. I pushed my chair back without kicking it. I tried to act without hitting or kicking something. I looked at Cyrus and saw that he had no interest in looking back at me. I placed my hand on the doorknob and was about to push it down when I heard my father speak to me._

_"Also there are a few criminal groups you should look out for."_

_"Such as idiots like yourself?" I teased. He glared at me afterwards. _

_"No." He replied. "Groups as Team Rocket. Their leader is Giovanni and I heard he has a son around your age."_

_"What about his son?"_

_"Its just that their always after legendary Pokémon and using their powers or they sell them to the black market. I'm telling you this so you know what you could be up against."_

_"Like I care."_

"Yes!" the way he spoke to me was filled with shame. I knew how he felt completely. "Like you're the son of Cyrus Hayden. The leader of Team Galactic me and my friends took down months ago!" He yelled at anger at me. "I'm not going to let you use my friends for your own greed."

"Leave my father out of this." I clutched my fist. Something inside of my felt like I had to protect him. "This isn't for me but-"

"For him isn't it?" He asked. "You are doing this for him. So you can re-form the red chain and destroy this world for good. I can't let you use my friends for that!"

"Aren't you doing something similar to those lines anyway?" Ash was frozen in his own tracks. I saw his eyes widen in shock. "I can't discuss my plans to my father's enemies!" a few more grunts from Team Rocket were ready to capture me and take Dawn away. Two grunts were right behind me with rope and handkerchiefs. In the background I could hear pokemon battles between two criminal originations.

"Get away from him!" Dawn yelled as she untied herself and ripped the handkerchief off her mouth. She ran to embrace me with tears running down her face. She glared at Ash. "Why Ash?" Then she looked up to me. "Paul? Why didn't you tell me that your father was Cyrus?" I looked away from her.

"Grunts. Take Dawn away from him. Fath- the team needs her." Ash stated. The two grunts that were originally after me went to Dawn instead. I wanted to stop them from doing so but Dawn need to go with them.

_"Also before you go." The old man with blue hair spoke. "You need to keep them together. Once the connection has been restored they need to be near each other or else they will slowly start to fade to their death." _

_"So their die without their other half?" He nodded. "Thanks. Now I have to carry a grudge on my shoulders now." I sighed. He laughed right after._

_"You have a very strange sense of humour Paul." _

"Go with Ash Dawn." I spoke without looking at her.

"No!" She yelled. "You the only person I trust now!" She held my right arm tightly. "Don't give me away like a toy Paul!"

"If you separated too far from Mesprit you will die." I looked at her, right into her eyes. "I don't want you to die Dawn. I looked back at Ash who really felt bad with himself in what he was doing. "That's why Ash and Azelf are with each other."

"Grunts!" Ash yelled and closed his eyes. "Take them apart!" He opened his eyes. Looking at Dawn and me. The grunts started to pull Dawn off of me. She screamed as I continued to look at her. I felt so weak and useless. I knew that if I tried to stop them I would lose her. I couldn't take that. I grabbed her hand and held it tight as the grunts pulled her from me more and more.

"I'll come for you." She faintly smiled as I released my grip on her and the grunts took her from me. I looked right at Dawn as I heard Dawn sobbing and fighting to work with them. "I'll get you too as well Ash. I can't let my rival do this to himself." Ash looked away from me.

"You shouldn't have said that." He spoke in a sad manner. "Let's go before Team Galactic comes after us." Ash commanded his troops before bumping shoulders into me. Soon a few more others came to Ash's aid. "Take Paul as well. I can't leave any witnesses." I turned to face Ash who I saw was already heading his way to a Team Rocket helicopters before I was tied down and captured as well.

In the distant I saw a dark figure heading my way. It was coming bigger and bigger before I was cut short.

"Paul!" a voice called before my hearing was down as well.

_"That figure." _My thoughts began. But my mind began to fade before I could answer my own question.


	13. Risks

I'm tried of delays. argh!

**~midnight**

* * *

**Mission twelve: **Risks

_Everything was looking dull; there was nothing to pull me out in the slump I was in._

It's been three cold, wet dull days since I got dumped into this place.

I feel like my body is chained up against the wall, in the darkest part of this place.

My only light source was the light was the light of the hall, but even that this place still felt dull and cold. The light was peeking through the bars in front of me and the repetition of the water dropping down onto the ground was about to make me crazy.

And the worst part was that I was alone. Alone.

I soon hear the sounds of a thick bolted door getting unlocked and letting lighter pour into the hall and cells. Footsteps echoed all around me and got louder and louder the more steps it took. Soon the footsteps stopped and a voice began.

"Don't you dare embarrass the Ketchum name, understand?" a man yelled from the start of the hall. Soon followed was the slam of the door.

I couldn't move towards the person. My hands were cuffed with heavy chains connected to them. My freedom was limited and so was my patience.

"Sorry about this Paul." Ash began. I glared at him. I knew he couldn't see me properly since I was hiding myself into the darkness. "You were never meant to get involved into this. If I didn't catch you there. My family would get into trouble."

"You're already in trouble. So I have no idea what you mean 'get into trouble'." I spoke.

"You're the closest person that should understand. After all, your father was the leader of Team Galactic."

"And yours is the leader of Team Rocket. Small world." I added. "What are you really after by catching me and the others?" I asked. "Your father isn't here. I'm sure he won't kill you by telling me."

"My family catches legendary Pokémon for a living. That's all I can tell." Ash shoved his hands into his pockets. "Now you know why I never speak of my father to my friends."

"If you were an actor you would the award for best actor. I never saw this coming." I sighed. "Ash." I added. "Your doing this for your father, aren't you?" There was a silent pause between us before Ash added.

"Yeah." He spoke underneath his breath. "We never got along since I was born. Father never wanted me in his life. But recently he gave me a chance to see if I was worthy to be his son. So I did this. If I only knew things would turn out like this, I would have never done it."

"We can't pick our family but we can pick our friends." I spoke. "Sometimes I wished I could pick my family as well." I looked Ash straight into the eyes. "Then we wouldn't have to part of such a horrible family."

"Yeah." Ash faintly smiled. "But I would still pick this one. Without my family's horrible past I wouldn't be the person I am today." Ash slightly chuckled afterwards. "I had a great time travelling from Kanto to Unova. My run is over." Ash had sadness all over his face when he said that his run was over.

"Over?" I asked. "Were are only ten. How can you say something like that so early?"

"Its because after this, I will have to pay all my attention to Team Rocket. I am the son's boss after all. It's the family business apparently and I need to play my part." He smiled at me. "Your lucky Team Galactic isn't around anymore. You don't have to worry about a guilty conscience." The door opened and another pile of footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Soon a tall man wearing a black suit with the colours of red, black, yellow came into my sight. He had short brown hair and a serious look on his face. It looked like he was born with that face. He had his hands behind his back and looked right at Ash.

"Ash." He spoke. "That's enough."

"I'm not finish." Ash spoke in a more arrogant manner. Avoiding eye contact to the man he was talking to.

"I can't afford you to be brainwashed by the enemy. Now lets go." The tall man turned the other way, ready to walk back to where he came from.

"He isn't my enemy, he is my friend." The man turned right back around.

"He_ was_ your friend. Now if you keep on treating him like that I will disregard you as my son." He was glaring down at his only son.

"How cruel." Ash spoke back in his arrogant voice. "Well that doesn't concern me since I never regarded you as my father." His father mocked Ash slightly.

"Well that just proves we are related. Now lets head back before I throw you with him." He looked at me bitterly before looking back at Ash. Ash sighed afterwards.

"So demanding." Ash looked back at me as him and his father made their way. He mouthed two words to me. _"I'm sorry." _

Then I was all alone again.

After that conversation I realised that there was still some of that soft friendly Ash I used to found disgusting that I know don't mind to have. Ash had the same reasons like me, only the difference is that he was still in his nightmare and I was suffering the aftershocks of mine.

* * *

_"You know." Reggie spoke to start a new conversation with me. "You never told me why you don't like Ash. He seems to be a nice guy." Reggie continued as he began to chop the carrots._

_"I hate him because he reminds me of you and I have to deal with him." I sat onto a high chair that was under the kitchen bench and began to peel one of the potatoes. Reggie was on the same bench just he was on the other side. "One Reggie is enough but two, I think I'll pass."_

_"Ouch." Reggie replied. "Little harsh?" He laughed afterwards. "Anyway I think its nice for you to have a rival that is so different to you. Aren't you excited?" he dropped the kitchen knife down and headed to the pot filled with boiling water and dropped the carrots in. _

_"No." I placed one peeled potato onto the kitchen bench and picked up the next one. "He doesn't even deserve the title of begin my rival. His so weak and pathetic." I continued to peel._

_"Well treat him as a reason to improve as a trainer. Who knows, maybe one day he will beat you." He spoke to me and pointed to me with a stick of celery. "He is a renowned trainer back in Kanto."_

_"That's not funny Reggie." I replied as I threw the potato to him. He caught it with his other free hand. _

_"Well it looks like talking about Ash makes your angry and you want to avoid talking to him." He walked to the bench and lifted an eyebrow. "You have some sort of liking to him?" My face went red in embarrassment._

_"I'm not gay like you!" I yelled. Reggie burst into laughter. _

_"Then tell me who you like or find an interest to be your girl or I'm telling Ash." Reggie glared at me cheekily._

_"Why do you ask me such stupid questions?" I face palmed myself. I began to think of the girls I've come across on my journeys._

_ I really never thought about girls. I was always into battling and getting strong Pokémon. I don't think of things such as love and women. It just won't work with me. I always tried not to talk to women much because I just could never mix with them. Then an image of an annoying girl with blue hair came into my mind. Images of her smiling and laughing filled my mind. When I soon stopped thinking I saw my brother was still looking at me._

_"Well?"_

_"If I say her name, you promise not to ask anything about her?" I lifted an eyebrow. I was tried of talking about silly things like girls. Reggie nodded. "Her name is Dawn. Happy?" Reggie smiled cheekily. _

_"What a small world we live in." He spoke. I looked him in confusion. He laughed afterwards before turning around and returning to the fridge to get more ingredients for the vegetable soup._

_"Strange family I live in." I sighed._

* * *

After thinking something like that, it's hard to believe I would fall in love with Dawn. I mean the chances of that happening was at least one to a million. If Reggie knew, he would be picking on me all day. Stupid brother of mine. I sighed. I laid my body onto the cold rocky dungeon floor.

"This is going to one long night." I sighed afterwards.

I closed my eyes in hope that I would fall asleep quickly, but that wasn't the case. As soon I closed my eyes I felt a sudden shake underneath me. At first I thought maybe Team Rocket lost some of its cargo or they bumped into something hard. Soon another loud sudden gust of power erupted but this time the whole room shook a little and another but more powerful shock soon followed afterwards. I could hear people rushing on the floor above me. I could faintly hear voice panicking and yelling. I knew something wasn't right. Something was wrong.

The door unlocked quickly and sounds of rushing footsteps came my way. He placed his hands around the bars in front of me. It was Ash that was in front of me.

"We are getting attacked. And I know it's because of you." Ash released his grip on the bars and rushed into his pockets.

"So it's my fault now is it?" I grumbled. Ash didn't reply as he soon pulled out a bunch of keys; the colours ranging from rusty brown to polished gold. He soon pushed one of the keys into the pad lock. I soon rose to my own feet when I saw what he was doing. "Hey!" I called out. "What are you doing?" The heavy pad lock dropped on the floor and Ash quickly walked into my cell. "If you help me escape you're going to be in heaps of trouble." I quickly sat back down again.

"It's fine." He knelt down and grabbed my left hand first. "I'm use to it." He got out a silver key and placed into the handcuff. "I don't want my friends to get involved into this." The handcuff soon fell to the ground and Ash soon moved to the right one. "I really want to fix the mess I've gotten myself into and my friends into." He looked at me, right into the eye. "Can you help me?"

_He called me his friend. After all did to him back when we were travelling, after all I did to his friends. He still wanted me to be his friend._

"Sure." I faintly spoke as the last handcuff around my right hand was released. "Just promise me that you will…." I slightly felt embarrassed in the words I was about to say. "…look after Dawn for me." Ash grinned at me.

"That's one promise I can be sure to keep Paul." He held his hand out to me. "Come on, I'll help you out of the hall to the exit. I need to make father believe that Team Galactic grunts got you and not me." I accepted his help and Ash pulled me towards him and helped me onto me own feet.

More panic echoed in the halls and in the floor above me. Ash and I ran out of my cell and saw that there was really only one way out. Ash turned toward a dead end and tugged me towards that way. I glanced over my shoulder and saw someone's shadow starting to peek into the room. We both reached the dead end.

"Are you really that stupid?" I asked in frustration. "This is a dead end. We have no where else to go!" Ash placed one finger over his lips. Telling me to keep quiet. He looked away from me and tapped a few times at the wall before it began to open and lead on onto another room.

"I knew it." Ash slightly cheered. He looked backed at me. "Here are your Pokémon back." He gave six poke balls which were placed in a small transparent bag. "They were hard to get back." I accepted my team back and placed them in my bag. "And also do you have any flying types that can fly?"

"Duh." I replied. Ash smiled.

"Good because you see we are in a flying ship and we are quite high. Your people are attacking from the ground." Ash pointed towards the ground. "Just make sure you don't get hit with one of their missiles."

"You talk like this has happened to you before." I crossed me arms.

"Well something similar happened to me back in Sinnoh and Unova." Ash sweat dropped. Soon Ash's father began to yell once more. His voice was getting louder and louder as he made his way to our direction. Ash quickly pushed me into the next room. "Just keep going straight, don't turn back okay?" He yelled as he began to slide the door back. "And don't worry about Dawn. I will look after her." I nodded as I ran my way down the hall without looking back.

_From that moment on, I began to let myself be able to learn how to trust people again._

* * *

I continued to run down the halls with only the sounds of panic echoing in my ears. I followed what Ash had suggested which was to keep on going straight and never look back. I soon reached a dead end and looked around me. In front of me was a closed door and looked like that one push was going to make it open easily. I turned around and saw no one was around and opening this door wouldn't stop the panic upstairs anyway. I kicked the door hard and watched the door quickly vanish from my sight. I felt like the wind was a vacuum and was pulling my whole body out the door. I quickly moved the right and sent out Honchkrow from its ball.

"Honch?' My dark type looked around in confusion and then back to me.

"No time to ask questions. Let's just get out of here." Honchkrow just nodded even though he didn't know why we had to leave.

As soon I was about to got on top of my flying type Pokémon to head out of here I could see somebody on a Staraptor heading towards me. Behind me I could hear the sounds of people rushing towards my direction.

"Paul!" It screamed. As soon it called my name I knew who it was straight away.

"Reggie!" I called back. He made the hand sign to tell me to come towards me before the grunts of Team Rocket get me. Honchkrow lifted its wings up it the air and flapped them a few times before soaring into the sky. I was flying towards my older brother as he greeted me with relief.

"I'm so glad you're alright." He smiled.

"I am but the rest aren't." I spoke softly. "Dawn May and even Ash are on there."

"As much as I want to head up there and save them all, Team Rocket will get to us before we get to them." Reggie replied. He turned around. "Now come-on lets head back down. I'm sure with that damage on their flying ship, they won't be heading far any time soon." I nodded. I turned around to face the flying ship with a trail of thick black smoke and bright red flames tagging along it.

"Wait for me Dawn; I'm coming back for you."


	14. Musical death

Sorry for the huge delay (again). I had a two week break, i wanted to take a break and let my mind relax. You see i have three stories im writing at the same time, so that means i write a new chapter every week, no stop. But this is nearing its end, so i guess i can relax a little.

Anyway don't start crying because of that!

**~midnight**

* * *

**Chapter thirteen: **Musical death

_If only he could hear my screams of my pain, then I would be set free from this place I now call hell._

I can hear panic underneath the floor I'm sitting on.

My hands feel locked up, unable to do nothing but make me feel more useless.

My black pupils have grown big and when light enter my eyes; it feels so painful, painful to see the glimpse of freedom. It hurts to know that freedom is so close to me and I'm forced to watch it mock me.

The door that kept me in this room open wide again. The painful light poured into the room with the man I use to trust.

"Hey." He greeted me. I continued to avoid looking at him. He placed the tray of food onto the floor, the cold cement tiled floor. "Dawn, please say something."

"I can't say anything to you without saying it with disgust Ash." I glanced at him but quickly looked away.

"Why do you keep judging me by the things I do Dawn?" He took a few steps into my hell. "Why can't you see the reasons behind them first?"

Well, he got me there.

I know I should but my heart is burning with hatred, anger, frustration that its blinding my mind to think properly and maybe should let off the hook because you're my friend, my mentor.

But I can't.

Soon yelling and screaming of destinations to go too echoed in my cell. I needed to ask questions before I go insane.

"What is with all the panic out there?" I asked. Ash didn't reply so Azelf did instead.

"Paul has escaped." He replied, straight to the point. "Ash helped him." He added. I quickly flashed my attention towards Ash again.

"But why?" I asked in confusion.

"You should be able to figure that one out Dawn." He shoved his hands into his pockets. Silence grew between us. My mind for once, the first time in a matter of days figured out the solution but my lips refused to speak. So Ash continued on. "Because you're my friends, I can never turn against the people I care for."

"You're a prisoner as well aren't you?" I asked, this time in a less angry way. "As long you are with your father and have a connection to Team Rocket you will always be trapped. Right?" Ash slightly nodded. "That's why you never spoke about your father to any of us."

"That's why I don't let Team Rocket get Pikachu or anyone else's Pokémon because when they do, father would track me down and force me to take over as leader for Team Rocket." Ash closed the door with the heel of his shoe. "I'm the only child in the family and automatically, without a say, I become the leader of Team Rocket. And ironically I'm the host for Azelf, it goes the same with you and May. We all have this connection that father is dying to have in his hands."

"So why don't you give it to him so you can regard you as his son?" I decided it was time to face him.

"I guess nobody has told you the ending of all of this." Ash paused and sat onto the cold floor.

"I will be out of here before I hear the ending."

"That won't work sadly." Ash sighed. I looked at him with shock and confusion. "This project, our connection to the three guardians of the Sinnoh lakes and the red chain, they summon the legends of time and space, Dialga and Palkia. Our connection fuels the three to their full powers but in return…" Ash clutched his fists tightly and soon continued. "…we die."

I felt like heaven and earth had come crashing towards me and the flames from hell are burning what remains of my pride, my hope, and my dreams. So my last moment with Paul was truly my last, and I couldn't even tell him how much I love him. The pain of this secret is already starting to kill me from within. To know that my life is only going to be used from a greedy obsession of a criminal leader hurts to much. And what is worse is that he is willing to use his own son's life to get to this.

How disgusting.

"How can you be so calm about this Ash? You're going to die for the sake of your father who not once treated you like his son!"

"I've done many things while on my journeys Dawn." Ash looked down onto the cold tiled floor and dipped his finger into the pile of water that was dripping from the roof. "I've met many Pokémon, caught a lot as well. Met heaps and heaps of friends and battled against hard rivals. I was able to travel to places I thought I would never go to and…" by this time I could see his face was going red. Perhaps from the embarrassment of the words he was going to say next. "…I had a wonderful mother that loved me so much and I was able to like somebody for the first time in my life." He looked up to me. "Like you and Paul."

"…You knew?" I gasped.

"I could tell before he escaped that he was going to come back, for all of us but mainly because of you. His changed since the first time we met him back in Sinnoh. He isn't as ruthless as we all thought."

"It's funny to hear all of this from you." I giggled slightly. "Normally you would be the dense one when it came to relationships. Normally you're the one that saves us when we are in trouble. Just what did you do when you where in Unova to make you act like this?" Ash looked up to me.

"A lot of things can change within one year Dawn."

* * *

_I hate this feeling of guilt. The guilt, it's killing inside of me. I wonder how long I can remain alive now this guilt of mine has returned._

"You did know you could of killed me with all of those attacks right?" I crossed me arms and glared at them.

"We had to take the risks." Reggie replied in a serious manner but just cracked up laughing right after. "Jokes." He stated. "We wouldn't blow up the ship while you and the others were in it. We're not that dumb Paul."

We had landed in a clearing surrounding by many variety of trees. The grass was all green and healthy and same went for the trees and Pokémon that occasionally came and poked their heads; looking at us and trying to figure out what was happening. Only a few meters away from Reggie and I was my father. My gutless, selfish father I hated.

Well I did.

Well I think so.

Reggie had just told me that it was father's idea and plan to attack the Team Rocket ship in order to provide it as a distraction to set me free. He knew that Ash would do something in order to set me free since father has met him in many occasions. It was as if father wrote down a script and my kidnapping was a play he wrote himself and he knew how everything was going to plan out. No wonder he was the leader of Team Galactic. He went many years as leader of that group without begin detected until Ash came along and ruined his little play.

And it nearly came back because of me.

But was that going to be a good thing?

"You want to save your friends right?" father asked. I turned around to be surprised that he was talking to me in a calm manner.

"For some weird reason..." I paused. "…I feel like I have to, no wait, I want to."

"I see." He grabbed out his poke gear. It was covered in the colours of team galactic. He punched in a few numbers and raised the phone up to his right ear. He waited for a few seconds before be began to speak.

"Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. Come to Lake Acuity this instance!" Father spoke in a former yet demanding manner. I could hear one of them respond. "Why you ask?" he sighed and added. "Team Rocket has the three lake guardians and I believe they will take them and their host to Unova to cause more trouble there. We need to take them back." Father turned around. "We can't afford to lose this battle now and-" father looked over his shoulder to me. "They've stole something important from my youngest son. And he really wants it back." He took his poke gear away from his ear and disconnected the call.

"Why?" I asked. "Why would you help me?" were the only words I could think of that would explain all of my confusion.

"Simple." He returned his poke gear back into his coat. "You're my son. You're my responsibility."

* * *

"When will we die Ash?" I asked. The thought of dying like this still stayed in my mind so strongly. Ash knew the answer it was just he didn't want to say it because he to couldn't accept that the time of our death would be coming to get us so soon.

"Three hours." He took a seat next to me. We were now laying our backs on the back wall of the cell. "Max."

"How is May taking all of this?" I asked.

"Just the same as all of us, the uncertainty is already starting to kill us." He wrapped his arms around his knees. "I wonder how it feels to die."

_If there is a place called heaven, do you think I can make it?_

How does it feel like to die I wonder? Is there the place called heaven like the bible has told me during my childhood? Is that place called heaven and can I make it there? Does dying hurt? Do I really have to climb these white stairs up high in the sky for forty days in order to reach the perfect place called heaven? Do I even deserve a spot? Because when I die I would be letting the man of my life live in hell forever now that I won't be by his side for the rest of his life. I never was the religious type but now I'm begging like as if I was.

"If there is a God out there…" I began to pray. "…Save us now."

* * *

The smoke from the Team Rocket's flying ship rose high up into the clear blue sky. Its thick black trail continued to rise and eventually come towards us. As the trail of smoke got thinner and thinner, so was my hopes to save Dawn.

"Looks like Team Rocket are able to keep flying after the damage we caused it." Reggie replied. "But like I said earlier, it won't last long."

"How long do you think they can stay up there?" I asked my older brother.

"At least three hours." Reggie placed his hands firmly onto his waist. A sound of a jeep was coming towards us. We both turned around to see it was the Galactic trio, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. Mars was waving to us two as Jupiter got onto her feet and called out to me. Her hands were right beside her lips so I can hear her voice.

"What on earth are you standing there for?" The pink headed woman yelled to me. "We got a flying ship to catch!"

I looked at the trail of smoke and saw it was barely visible to the naked eye to see.

Somehow I couldn't help but use the string of smoke as a sign if I could save Dawn in time or not.

_And that string was running thin. If stretched any further I have no doubt it will break._

* * *

The door flashed up wide open and the light poured right into my eyes. In front of Ash and I stood a man dressed in black and white with a red 'R' placed on her black sleeve top and holding May by her arms. Her arms were tied in front of her by a white cloth or thick rope and her mouth was gagged by a white handkerchief. She was screaming words towards us but it felt like I was hearing a foreign language I didn't understand any of it. Ash quickly rose to his two feet.

"Let her go!" The grunt smiled and even laughed afterwards as if our suffering was a joke to him. He soon turned serious again.

"The boss wants you two plus your girlfriend." The grunt threw May towards Ash so ruthless and careless. Ash caught her and removed the handkerchief which prevented her to talk to us earlier.

"Ash!" She dug her head into Ash's torso. "Thank goodness you're okay." May began to shed tears in front of him. Ash embraced her tighter.

"What's wrong?" He asked. May wiped her tears away.

"Their going to take us now, their going to start to remove our connection that connects of the lake guardians!" the tears that May wiped away earlier were no use as more came down to replace them. "Their…going to kill us now."

Now, more than ever did I began to treasure my life as if it was another of my contest ribbons I have won. But my life couldn't be replaced by metals or fabrics. Neither was my love for Paul. Now it was time to face the music, the music to our deaths.


	15. Thankyou for the love

There will be another chapter to this...or will there? You will understand after reading this chapter.

**~midnight**

* * *

**Chapter fourteen:**

"But we have at least three hours to go!" I yelled. Begging to let the grunt let us live for a little more longer.

"This ship is badly damaged. It won't last for another three hours." He replied. "So get ready to die now." He laughed afterwards. I wrapped my arms around myself tightly in hope that this was all a bad dream. Ash and May hugged each other for the same result, but nothing came. Our hope was gone. This dream was going to last forever. We weren't going to wake up.

"This can't be happening." I mumbled to myself as I fell onto the floor. Ready to burst into tears. "I'm not ready to die." Soon I felt a warm hand placed on my left shoulder. I looked up and saw it was no other than Ash. He opened his hand to me like he was helping me rise to my feet again.

"No need to worry." He spoke gently. They were the words I would always tell him when everything okay or not. Mainly I use it to hide my problems away from Ash. His denseness never could pick it up, but now it's as if he reads me like a book he has read many times over. I grabbed hold of his hand but it wasn't tight. Ash held it tight for me and lift me onto my feet. I faintly smiled.

"No need to worry." I repeated. "Not at all."

* * *

I cold feel the harsh wind going across my face so strong that I couldn't even keep my eyes open. I should tell father to never let Mars drive an off road jeep that has little walls to bump off. Even though I hate hanging around people who obey father like canine type Pokémon, I had no choice. This trio are the only people who can get me to Dawn the quickest, yet I don't know why father can't come along. I never understood his ways, I might never will.

The trail of smoke thickens in size and colour. I knew we were getting close to the others. I never thought I would the type of person that would return for the other people, normally I would leave them aside but I guess people change over time, either for the good or the bad.

* * *

They chained my hands with thick rope and somehow forced our counterparts; the lake guardians to come out of us. They had some sort of headband on top of their heads that has disabled their powers. As I walk down the hallway, it felt like it became a timeline of my life. Everything that I have achieved and failed at flashed into my mind. My chest began to get tighter and tighter as my heart began to beat faster and faster.

This was it.

When we all reach that door, the countdown begins.

* * *

The flying ship began to go lower and lower onto the ground because of the damage my brother and the others have afflicted on it earlier. It was so low I could jump onto one of the platforms that was left open or either it much of unlocked itself because of the damage.

"Jump already." Saturn exclaimed. "We don't have all day!"

"Shut up. It's harder than it looks." I replied back.

"No its not." And then I felt Saturn pushed me right off the jeep and onto the platform of the ship.

"I'll kill you after this Saturn." I held out my fist in anger towards him.

"That's if you don't get killed first idiot." He laughed afterwards. But if felt like it was in friendly type of laugh, I don't know how to explain but it was a different type of laugh from when we first met.

"Whatever." I sighed and went on board, hoping that I wasn't too late.

* * *

The room was literally dark all over except for these three glowing machines. There were six capsules, one for everyone. Then on top were needle like plugs that all led to two containers that had some sort of gem on top. I had a guess it was the same gem that they used to summon Palkia and Dialga a few months ago. But this time we were part of their plan, we couldn't save the three like we did before. Around the machines were doctors in lab coats, asking us to go in but of course we didn't go in. We refused to be little pawns for someone else selfish greed.

So we were pushed, shoved and even kicked our ways into these machines. I was pushed in first because of my weak physical body. They pushed my back against the machine and untied the rope around my hands and to only be cuffed again with cuffs already built in the machine. A gas mask was placed over my mouth and then was they saw I was trapped inside well they closed the door and worked on getting May and Ash inside as well.

May was fighting more than I did since she was a little stronger than I was. She was kicking the guards in their knees and other areas and even escaped from their grasp once but was only caught by the doctors. She was shoved into the capsule beside me and did the same procedures like they did to me. Ash fought off the most and knock a few down but was stopped when nearly everyone grabbed onto him and pushed him into the machine and quickly strap him down.

Our spirits couldn't do much because when we were strapped down, so were they. The doctors seem glad in what they have done and began to work on the machine by pressing buttons, typing letters and numbers and moving levers up and down to their desire. In the middle of the capsules and the teleportor was the machine that controlled everything. If that was destroyed, then we would all be set free.

But how long do we have to wait until that happens? When we are dead?

* * *

The halls were mainly empty. I had guesses that some might of left or got defeated. But mainly I had a feeling most had fell down the holes of the ship or died while the ship was getting attacked. I had to run around like a little mouse Pokémon in a giant pokecenter. I was going thought walls with holes big enough for me to go through; I had to jump over gaps on the floor where there was a simple straight hallway. I had to avoid rubble on the floor that made a simple five minute trip into a fifteen minute trip.

"I have no time for this!" I yelled. I jumped over a few more piles of rubble before heading towards the next door.

* * *

The only time I felt free was when the machines handcuffs unlocked themselves. I began to think that maybe there is a malfunction in the machine of maybe they had a change of heart.

But I was wrong.

The handcuffs were only there to hold me in place because if they weren't we could easily escape and run as fast as we can to keep hold of our precious lives. By the time I was knocking hard on the slightly transparent glass window it was already locked in place. I knocked again and against hoping it would break or even show a crack but nothing. This was my coffin I'm going to die in.

Green thick gooey liquid began to crawl up my legs as the capsule began to fill with this disgusting liquid. Cords began to place themselves in many places on my body. I tried to knock some away and even pull them off but they were stuck on me. I didn't even have enough to pull anything off me, even the gas mask because the capsule filled up quickly with the green liquid. I felt like I was underwater where my body is light and I'm floating off the ground.

I called out help so loud that I couldn't even hear my own thoughts telling me to be quiet.

I called.

And called.

And called.

Until I knew all hope was gone.

* * *

_I soon felt that same soft hand brushing their fingertips through my hair. "Paul...if I only knew back then, I wouldn't have treated so bad back then. I'm sorry." _

I can't help but run. Run and run. If I stopped even for a second, I would hate myself for doing so. I didn't know why but I couldn't stop. I needed to keep up with time because it waits for no one. It just keeps on going and going and going. It doesn't stop for anyone.

* * *

_"You have a lot of people that care for you Paul. Why can't you see that?"_

I began to feel a strange sensation in me. I couldn't figure out if it was good or bad or if it was the drugs entering into my bloodstream. I began to feel strong and powerful, a burst of excitement, more like it. I knew my body was being hyped up in order to power up the sprits. I have no doubt that Ash and May feel the same as well.

* * *

_I honestly had no idea why I saved her again or add to the fact my arms wrapped around her._

The deeper I placed myself into, the more difficult it got. I was like one of those maze games I played when I was younger that the higher you went in a level, the more harder it got and the less easier it was to find the exist. I didn't have time to play games with this place. I needed to find her; I need to tell her I'm sorry. I want to tell her I'm sorry for making her fall in love with me. I'm sorry for the love she has for me be the reason she's suffering.

* * *

_I brushed her fringe with the back of my fingers and I trailed them down to her cheeks. She was so defenceless when she was a state with no conscience. Anyone could just take her and do whatever they wanted with her._

Then all of the excitement faded away from me, begin drained away like I had no rights, no opinion, no heart. I was losing my sense of balance as I began to feel my body being lifted from the ground. I was beginning to lose not only my balance but the control of the bottom half of my body.

* * *

_"So after saving your life nearly three times this is the thanks I get?" I face palmed myself lightly. "Oh why do I have to care for someone like you?" I sighed._

_"You...care...for me?"_

Now it was getting easier, the path I have been on for the last minute or more soon began to turn into one long narrow path and the walls and floors slowly started to lose the damage, I had a feeling I was heading into the main part of the ship.

Now I really had to hurry.

* * *

_While we have been travelling together I've notice something. She isn't as annoying as I first thought. I thought her as an annoying clutz because every time I saw her she would always be doing something stupid, but travelling with her for at least two weeks now, that's change. Yes I do admit she is still annoying, but not as much as before. It's like I've gotten use to her silly actions._

Now I was losing it.

I had no control to any part of my body order than my mind. It felt like it was the only thing I was able to hang on to. Even though I had lost control over my body I could still feel the pain entering into my body. I can feel my tears running down my cheeks and I'm starting to feel cold, very very cold.

* * *

_"Why are you so worried about me if I act like this?" She wiped her tears away. I watched her as my mind started to think of an answer._

_Why was I so worried about her? Why did I feel so sad when I see her like this? Why do I keep trying to save her every time she just herself into trouble? What is the reason behind all of this?_

_She rushed towards me and grabbed my jacket. She held it tight and looked into my eyes. Even though she wiped her tears away, she continued to cry._

_"Tell me!" She yelled. My mind began to boggle many letters, sentences and phrases together than it all didn't make sense. It was so confusing that my lips made the decision for it instead._

_"Because I care for you!" I yelled. She released her grip and I took a few steps back. I looked back on the ground, avoiding seeing the reaction she had after the words I spoke._

Because I love her.

It's simple as that.

And it's because of this love that's I'm after her.

And to tell her this to her personally.

If she tells me that she loves me back.

Than I would be happy. For the first time in my life, in a very long time.

* * *

_But I couldn't calm myself down. My weakness wasn't love but, to be loved by somebody else. It felt so wrong, I felt so selfish, I felt so guilty. It wasn't right. If I told her why I had to travel with her will she still see me the same, will she still love me?_

_So why I was I acting like this if I didn't love her?_

I can feel my heart slowing down; I can feel its pulse push against my chest so hard I can feel it about to break. Or maybe it's already broken. My heart feels so alone, I had never felt like this before, this feeling of begin lonely. Now I know how Paul feels like; the feeling of not having anyone to love or be loved by hurts so so much. I feel like I want to cry but I've lost my tears, I've lost all the tears I've got.

And now I can feel my mind is slowing down too. I can hardly think, speak or hear. Everything is getting blurry, even the memories that I treasure so well and tight and use to be so clear to look back upon is getting cloudy as well.

If I could speak, I would yell this to him.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

And I want to kiss you and share my love for you. I want to hug you, cherish you. Call you my own. I want to tell the whole world that I've fallen for you and I don't plan to change this. I want to hold your hand, I want to tease you and pick on you. I want to see you getting annoyed and seeing that you like it as well. I want to be by your side forever and I want to die by your side. I want go wherever you go. I want to be able to love you without holding anything back.

But most of all, I want to hear you say that you love me too.

And before I close my eyes I saw a figure. But my mind had already given up on who it was as it told my eyes to finally close the final curtain.

And then the lines were cut.

* * *

_It's confirmed then._

_I wouldn't be thinking about this if it wasn't for her._

_I don't know if this is right or wrong._

_Dawn…_

_I love you too._

Everything was a mess. There were machines, capsules and everything sci-fi that people would mostly see in sci-fi movies. Green liquid was painted all over the floor and the main controller was smashed or what seemed to me, stepped on. Two gems were placed on top of a pole, guessing to the design of the gems; they were orbs that are used to summon Dialga and Palkia. All the capsules were knocked down like tin pins and a mixture of blood and green gooey liquid was all over the floor. I rushed towards the scene when I saw Ash and May were knocked out of their capsules and unconscious. I quicken my pace when I saw Dawn not to far from them.

I held her in my arms and began to wake her up.

_"I'll come for you." She faintly smiled as I released my grip on her and the grunts took her from me. I looked right at Dawn as I heard Dawn sobbing and fighting to work with them. Then I began to hear her say something else as well._

_"I promise to wait for you, I promise to keep on fighting until you come. I won't give up! I promise you that!"_

_"I know you will." I spoke. "Don't let me down Dawn!"_

_She smiled and faintly nodded before she was begin dragged away from my sights. _

"You promised you would wait for me." I spoke as I held her close to me chest. "You promise that would keep on fighting." I lifted her away from my chest and looked at her pale face. I brushed her fringe and ran the back of my fingers down her cold cheeks.

I held her close to me hoping that my warm body would wake her up, and afterwards she would open her eyes and smile and toss her arms around me. Then she would laugh and say something like, 'you came back for me! I knew you would!'

But none of that happened. In fact it was all opposite. I held her hand tight, as tight as I could hold your hand before bursting into tears.

"I'm sorry." I began. "I'm sorry for making you fall in love with me, I'm sorry for making you suffer because of your love towards me." I paused and soon added. "I'm sorry for not coming back for you in time where you needed me the most." I released my grip on my hand and watch it quickly drop onto the green wet liquid. I dropped her slowly onto the ground with the mixture of green liquid and her blood as I brushed her hair for the final time as I watched her sleep so peacefully and calmly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you that I love you too."

And this love for you will never change. Even if I won't be able to touch you again or hear your voice again, it's alright. As long I can hold onto this love I have for you, and then everything will be okay.

So thankyou Dawn, for everything. Thankyou for teaching me things I lost of never had the chance to learn. Thankyou for dealing with me, thankyou for letting me love you, even if we never ended up together in the end.

_Thankyou. _


	16. Let it all end here

**Chapter fifteen: **Let it all end here

One year later:

And for the first time I've forgotten what else I can write about her.

I drop my black pen onto the desk and watch it roll away from the book. I reach out for it again and read over the words that I used to talk about her. Pages and pages are filled with painful memories and treasured ones that I won't forget. I wrap my fingers around my pen and tap the ink end onto the dry paper thinking of what to add on. My hand wants to go on but my mind is empty. There is nothing else I can write about her. I know its mean to say this, but no words or phrases can describe them, no matter how hard I try.

I drop my pen and find the courage to close the book. The pages all stack onto one another with the things I've said about her. It's hard, of course it is. But I'll make it. I need to put all of this behind me. Beside the book is a year old newspaper with an unusual news topic. It has the words of 'Mysterious Stranger in an unusual plot!" This issue was on the television for two weeks as each night the media presented a different view on the issue. The media couldn't get it any more wrong. No news article can express the emotions I felt that day. Never.

I continue to read on even though I've read it many times over. The journalist has written down saying that 'three young children, all of the ages of eleven were used in a scientific experiment that went horribly wrong. Two, by the names of Ash Ketchum and May Maple suffered near death situation and barely survived the attack. They used their mystic connection to summon the legends of the Sinnoh region, Palkia and Dialga. They succeeded but the two wild Pokémon rampaged over the place releasing the two from their capsules but another one that was still contained in the other capsule…' I couldn't bear to read on. I always end up not finishing the article at the same place.

I've decided to stay home. Well in Twinleaf I mean. Eventually Reggie and our father soon followed. Mother is here as well but she is mostly out because of her treatment. She's strong and she's getting there. She is getting as cheerful as that picture I saw of her with father when she was my age. Although her jokes are hard to listen to, I wonder if there is a treatment for that. We all decided not to live in the mansion anymore and live in a little cottage not far from it. It's not much but as long I have a place to live, I'm fine by it.

The past few days have been hard because the only way I can really move on is to attach to her. I know everyone in my family sees it to, but they just don't want to say anything about it. I like it like this. I get to have some time alone and have family companionship at the same time. It's nice. I haven't gotten use to it yet but I will eventually will. Also I've decided to head to the Unova region and start fresh. Start off and start going after my dream. I think I've abandon it for awhile now.

Ash has moved on and headed to this new region which I've forgotten the name to. I know it's further from Unova and it takes days to get there. Also his friend, May has tagged along with him, saying that she wants to be rekindle their long lost friendship. I believe there's something more to that. But I think I will keep it to myself for now.

I push myself off my chair and head towards my packed backpack. I really didn't have a chance to put anything in because mother has done it for me but I always go through my bag just in case there is something in there that shouldn't. I throw it over my shoulder and head downstairs into the kitchen where I see mother trying to bake a cake. She gazes off her cooking book and smiles at me and waves at me with her hands all covered in flour.

"Hey!" She starts. "Going off somewhere?" I shrug my shoulders and walk to the oven that was releasing thick smoke. I opened the tap and get a bow, fill it up with water andl and throw the water into the oven. Letting the smoke calm down.

"You should really read the recipe better Mom." I spoke. "I'm pretty sure it says 'let it cook for 25 minutes, not 45.'" I throw the empty bowl into the sink. "That's like the third time you're burn the poffin cake."

"Look." She placed her hands onto her waist. "Give me some time. I haven't done this in awhile." I sigh.

"But still." I glare at her and then to the dishes. "I don't get to wash that now that I saved the house from getting on fire, do I?" Mother laughed.

"Alright, just this once." She laughed. "But when you come back I promise you I will get this cake right!" She spoke with such joy and determination.

"Whatever." I spoke. "See you at six." I spoke before leaving the house. I could hear my mother yelling at me but it's probably nothing serious.

I walk down the country path and watch everything around me. I see battles and children practicing contest moves. I see old couples picking berries from their gardens and young trainers chasing after their starter Pokémon. I walk to a breeding centre and see my older brother writing down details of the Pokémon he is chosen to look after. I walk to the bench and glare at him in order to distract him. He finally gives up on what he is doing and looks at me.

"Is there anything you want?" I refuse to reply. "Oh I remember why you're here." He laughs afterwards.

"You're so useless." I sighed. I felt like I wanted to face palm myself but I wasn't in the mood.

"Just wait. I'll get it." And minutes later he comes out with a small blue penguin. "Here he is. I've looked after him well. Remember to give him back okay?" I grabbed the water type and look at it.

"You do know I'm not sorry dumping you here with my brother right?" Pilpup crosses his fins together. He wasn't happy. "I can't take you home. Not until father comes home and mother is well. I have to give you to my brother until everything is sorted." Pilpup still glares at me. "I know you hate me okay. It's only for one person that I'm keeping you and calling you mine." I finally given up convincing Pilpup was in good hands so I drop on the floor. "You're walking." I spoke. "Don't get lost on the way." I could hear Pilpup sigh in the background.

"I don't think you two will ever get along." Reggie began to laugh again. I looked over my shoulder.

"Thanks genius."

"So I'm guessing you're going to the same place again today hm?" I didn't answer back. "So that means you won't be home on time again?"

"So you're going to ground me because of that? Not even mother grounds me yet alone my older brother."

"It's just your going to leave soon. I don't think it's best to leave here with her in your mind."

"Just let me be." I turned to face him. "I'll be fine."

I leave my brother and let him go on with his other work as I walked out with a little annoying penguin tagging right behind me. I sit on a tall hill and watch the blue sky and the white clouds past over us. Back in Veilstone everything runs so fast that life goes by so fast. Everything you do is roughly recorded in your mind. Pilpup just sits down and looks up the sky, maybe wondering about what has happened in the last year or so. He hasn't been out much when everything happened but he had some idea of it. Even though we can't understand each and pretty much find each other annoying, we know that she both finds us important and I know she doesn't want to see us like this.

I yawn and stretch my arms into the air before I felt somebody picking me off the ground. It was no another than my father, Cyrus.

"What on earth are you doing here on the grass? You should be there by now. She won't be happy."

"Leave me alone old man." I shook my hand away from his grasp. "I'm getting there. It's not easy going to her, after what's happened."

"Let's not recall what happened in the last year. I know what you mean." Cyrus sighed afterwards. "Look I'm going to stay here for the weekend. I cancelled the meeting."

Father is now in charge of some sort of fossil company, reviving old fossils and trying to find as much about them before releasing them into the wild. He sometimes gets all crazy when he revives a Pokémon and starts what Reggie and I call 'creepy talk' and we avoid his workplace when we can. He is still interested in the past and how the universe is made but not as much as before. Father once asked if she should be a history teacher in the Pokémon School here in Twinleaf and I just replied saying your looks will traumatise your students with your unhealthy laugh. After I said that I was told to stay in my room for a week. That punishment didn't work out so well. I never knew having parents could be so annoying. His away for a few days but always finds a way to come back home.

"If you don't confront her now, you won't be able to go on your journey right." He spoke.

"I know, I know, I know." I repeated in an annoyed manner. "Just relax. I'm getting there. She promised she will wait for me. No matter how long she has to wait."

"You're still going on that promise but it didn't even work the last time."

"It will work out in the end…dad." Father didn't say anything afterwards and began walking home before adding.

"Just come home soon. I don't like waiting." He yelled before walking down that path that led to home.

"Typical old man." I muttered before heading to my real destination."

Then finally I was there.

I reached the town's hospital.

It's small and is only two stories high. It has this cottage-modern look to it that's hard to put into words. I find it hard to come here because the first thing that comes to me was the first day the media covered the issue. I can remember it written in big thick black bold letters, flashing on the screen in two second intervals. It said 'Victim arrives dead!' Idiots, she was dead before that.

But it wasn't all bad.

But still. It hurts knowing that the media just treats her like nobody, just another victim of the media world. Reporters desperate to get a story, so desperate that they will even make up a story that makes her look like a fool just for story that will only last a day.

I push against the double doors and walk myself in. I walk to the reception and ask for her name. They looked blankly at me before grabbing a book filled with other patients' names. She placed her finger down every name that was written and stopped at her name.

"You're her usual visitor, beside her mother of course." She faintly smiled as she handed me spare keys that led to her room. The media still come on and off to her room so because of that her mother requested that only people her knows personally can visit her room. Its sound stupid but it keeps her away from strangers.

"Yeah, I try to come when I can, because she needs me." I place the pockets into my pocket.

"That room has being quiet lately, a little depressing to enter. It just has this eerier feeling as you enter that room."

"Yeah, it's been quiet lately there." I reply. I look down and see Pilpup wanting to move on. I nod and move onto her room.

What normally takes a ten five minute walk felt like an hour. Each step I takes a little bit of my memories of her comes into my head. Each one gets painful and painful because I get to see this part of her that I can't come back on. Her smile, her laugh and pretty much everything about comes back. It relives itself in my mind and portrays it into my eyes. Perhaps that's why I can't come to her because everything I like about her holds me back. Its stop me from fulfilling my promise towards her. It hurts but I hope she understand.

Oh great, I'm getting cheesy now.

I reach for her room and place my hand on the doorknob and hold it tight. This is the how far I came last time. It's like she's holding me back, stopping me from entering into this room. Maybe because the last time I saw her here, she was dead. Her body was cold, her blood was painted all over her body and dried marks of her tears were marked on both of her cheeks. And I couldn't do anything to stop it.

I twist the doorknob and push the door open and watch it open until it stops. And then what I saw was an empty room.

Except for one thing.

Everything was empty except that young girl sleeping on her bed.

And that girl went by the name of Dawn.

When I found her dead, Mesprit and the others used their restored powers to revive Dawn but it wasn't enough for her to be one hundred percent healthy. When I brought her to the hospital the doctors told me she was in a deep coma and couldn't predict when she would wake. This was the reason I had a hard time to overcome which caused my rare visitations. To accept that she won't wake up again is pretty painful to withstand. And within a few hours you will be finally switched off. She has been in this coma for a year now with no changes.

I remember Dawn's mother screaming her head off to the doctors saying that 'this isn't all true!' and 'my darling will wake up!' it was so loud and caused the major issue of the day. I remember watching her from the end of the hallway while the nurses held her back from causing murder to the doctor that delivered the news to her. Who knew that her pain was going to hurt the people around you even more?

Over the past year I've become different. Well in the way I think, I can't help but think of the things that I normally don't think about. I think of things like when will she wake up, when will she open her eyes, can she hear all the yelling outside of her room or even has anything changed between us, so many questions, so many.

I walk over to her and take seat on the mattress her motionless body lays on. I pick up Pilpup and placed him beside her head that is still wrapped with thick bandages that where the blood has gone through the thick layers and began to show through. Your eyes stay still as I trace my fingertips over your soft skin; their warm. Your hair has just been washed by one of the nurses and the smell from the shampoo is filling the room slightly.

I watch as Pilpup touches you on the cheek and touches it in hope that you would wake up. He does it again but this time with his small beck and hopes for the same result. Nothing happens.

"Pil…" He sighed sadly. "Pil." He repeated as he rubbed his head against her cheeks. Pilpup has done this many times before; he knows what's going to happen. This time he does it longer than usual, he knows this is the end.

Let it all end here is what the doctors have been saying for the past week or so. 'Let it all end here so her suffering can stop' if you do that, then all of us will continue to suffer. I know Dawn doesn't want to die like this, I know that the last thing she wants to do is die without a fight. It just wasn't her. I know Ash would say that her dying like this isn't what she wants. 'Dawn is strong! She will wake up! Don't give up!' are the words I remember him telling me before he moved into the new region. He also told me that 'Dawn doesn't want to see you like this. You need to be strong for her until she wakes up!'

I'm trying it's just. I can't help but face reality. And that reality sometimes outweighs my fantasy.

I hold her hand tight in hope of a response. Every month or whenever I can find the guts to visit her, I would hold her hand for hours, hoping that she would wake up. But should I believe is such a fantasy?

Perhaps I can.

I soon felt her hand responding to mind. I felt the ends of her fingertips moving slowly and soon followed were the flicker of her eyelids and for the first time in a year I was able to see your sapphire eyes shine through brightly. I felt her trying to hold my hand tight as she open her eyes half open as for now is how far she can open them. She moves her lips to form what I see as a soft smile. She opens her lips and tries to speak but nothing comes out. She held my hand tighter and she try to speak again.

"…you…came…" Was the words she said to me. It was soft and weak but it was enough to hear.

"As promise." I replied.

"…can…you…come…here?" Dawn asked as she pointed towards her lips. Maybe asking for me to come closer since her speaking abilities is low and weak.

I move my face closer to hers until our noses could touch one another. She lifted her head slightly and pressed her lips against mine hard enough to call a soft peck. It wasn't much but I knew what she meant by that kiss, it was just she couldn't say the words to me. I understood as I pressed my lips on hers softly as well.

And finally you have woken up from the darkness and back into the light, just like done to me to me a year ago. You taught me that everything isn't always in shades of grey or in darkness in that manner. You taught me that life is filled with colours and thanks to you I'm able to see it again; able to see the lightness again.

"Welcome back." I spoke as she softly smiled at me and mouthed to me. _"Thank you." _

And afterwards I couldn't help but smile back at her after that.


End file.
